President Donald Trump responded to the news that the first American man has been named the next pope in a post on Truth Social.
“Congratulations to Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, who was just named Pope,” Trump said. “It is such an honor to realize that he is the first American Pope. What excitement, and what a Great Honor for our Country. I look forward to meeting Pope Leo XIV. It will be a very meaningful moment!”
Robert Francis Prevost has degrees from Villanova University; the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, where he was also born; and the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome, according to the National Catholic Reporter.
He speaks English, Spanish, Italian, French and Portuguese, the NCR reported, and additionally can read German and Latin.
These skills give him “abilities to communicate with his fellow cardinals in ways that others cannot,” the NCR said.
Though Prevost is the first American pope, he has spent “only a third of his life” in the U.S, opting to spend more of his time in Latin America and Europe.
There have now been 267 popes over the centuries, and the newly elected Pope Leo XIV is the first American one in history.
The former Robert Francis Prevost, a cardinal from Chicago, made history with his election today. He is a 1977 graduate of Villanova University in the Philadelphia area.
Prevost has spent a third of his life in Peru and a third in Italy, which Vatican observers say may have contributed to him being elected. He also had the powerful position over overseeing any new bishops within the church as the head of its Dicastery for Bishops.
Following tradition, Pope Leo XIV is addressing the large crowd from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica after his election.
In 2013, Pope Francis emerged in simple white vestments and asked for the blessings and prayers of the crowd.
“It seems that my brother cardinals have come almost to the ends of the Earth (to find a new pope),” he said, presumably in reference to the Argentinian cardinal becoming the first pope from Latin America.
“Let us start this journey, bishop and people, this journey of the Church of Rome, which leads all the churches in charity, a journey of fraternity, of love, of trust among us,” he continued.
In 2005, Pope Benedict XVI told the crowd he was a “humble worker in the vineyard of the Lord.”
When Pope John Paul II was elected in 1978, he was the first non-Italian elected in 455 years when he addressed the crowd. He noted that he came from Poland but would address the crowd in “our” language, meaning their language.
“If I make a mistake, you will correct me,” he said to cheers.
Pope Leo XIV has made his first public appearance on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica.
An American, born Robert Francis Prevost, is the new leader of the church, elected after just two days of voting during the conclave.
Newly elected Pope Robert Francis Prevost arrives on the main central loggia balcony of the St Peter’s Basilica for the first time on May 8, 2025.Alberto Pizzoli / AFP – Getty Images
The papal name that will be taken by Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost of Chicago, the first American to ever become pope, was drowned out by the roaring crowd when it was announced by Cardinal Dominique Mamberti of France.
Lester Holt of NBC News reported from the scene that it’s unclear whether the crowd heard what name Prevost will take as pope.
Robert Francis Prevost, an American, has been named the next leader of the Roman Catholic Church.
Crowds are anxiously awaiting for him to make his first appearance as pope and to reveal his papal name.
Waves of excitement have rushed through Rome since the white smoke emerged from the Sistine Chapel, signaling that the next leader of the Roman Catholic Church has been chosen.
Crowds quickly began to gather in St. Peter’s Square, with some NBC News reporters on the ground describing the atmosphere as “a party of thousands.”
A band has arrived, but it is hard to hear the music over the noise of the crowds, according to NBC News reporters.
While this conclave began yesterday and ended today, it’s not quite the fastest one in history.
In 1503, Pope Julius II was elected in just 10 hours.
It is believed the newest pope was elected after the fourth round of voting.
It continues a trend of shorter conclaves in recent years, according to NBC News. Pope Francis was elected after just two days in 2013, as were Pope Benedict XVI in 2005, Pope John Paul I in 1978 and Pope Pius XII in 1939.
The longest conclave was in the 13th century, when it took nearly three years to elect Pope Gregory X in 1271. That long conclave led to changes in how a pope is selected.
The conclave to pick the newest leader of the Roman Catholic church began on May 7. The College of Cardinals attended mass at St. Peter’s Basilica in the morning, before heading to the Sistine Chapel to take an oath of secrecy and holding one vote.
The cardinals were unable to reach a two-thirds majority during the vote on May 7 and began voting again on May 8. The conclave is believed to have held several additional votes on May 8 before electing the new pope.
Based on traditions of the pope election process, after the pope has been voted in by the College of Cardinals, he is asked two questions: “Do you accept your canonical election as supreme pontiff?” and “By what name do you wish to be called?”
He is then led into a small sacristy behind the Last Judgment wall, which in Italian is called the “Room of Tears.” The room received the name after several popes had been overwhelmed with emotion and moved to tears after they had been elected.
Once inside of the room, the new pope will put on his papal cassock for the first time. Three sizes of the robe — small, medium and large — were prepared ahead of time in three sizes to be available for whoever wears them. Some small alterations may be made before he appears before the public.
Now that the white smoke has indicated a pope has been chosen, NBC News host Lester Holt reported that it should take about an hour to reveal the new pope’s identity.
That means that around 1 p.m. ET we should know the identity of the 267th pope in history.
When Pope Francis was elected in 2013, it took about an hour after the white smoke billowed from the Sistine Chapel to reveal that the Argentinian cardinal had been elected.
The announcement of the new pope today will be delivered by Cardinal Dominique Mamberti of France, who will emerge on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica to proclaim in Latin, “Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum: Habemus papam,” which means, “I announce to you a great joy: We have a pope.”
Mamberti will then share the name of the new pope and the name he will use as pontiff. The new pope will then come out on the balcony a few minutes after he is announced.
Around 6 p.m. local time in Rome, white smoke began to come from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel, indicating the conclave has chosen its 267th pope.
This means at least two-thirds of the cardinals have voted to choose the next leader of the Catholic Church. At least 89 votes were needed to reach this threshold.
An announcement of who has been elected should be coming shortly on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica.