The Catholic Church has elected a new pope: Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost of Chicago was chosen on Thursday after four rounds of voting, concluding just 24 hours after the conclave began in the Sistine Chapel.
At 69 years old, the new pontiff will take the name Pope Leo XIV, becoming the first pope from the United States.
Before his election, he served in the Vatican as a curial cardinal, leading the influential dicastery responsible for overseeing bishops worldwide.
Earlier in his career, Pope Leo XIV worked as a missionary and bishop in Peru and also served as the prior general of the Augustinian Order. He is widely seen as a bridge-builder, capable of mediating between the conservative and reform-minded wings of the Catholic Church.
