And on the second day, the conclave said “Let there be Leo,” and made history.
Robert Francis Prevost, 69, an American-born cardinal who has spent most of his career in South America, has been named the 267th pope, leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Roman Catholics, and has chosen the name Leo XIV. He is the first pope with U.S. ties and has been a cardinal for just two years. He was chosen on the second day of the conclave, just over two weeks after the death of Pope Francis, who died April 21, on Easter Monday.
The new pope is coming into his position in a special year for the Roman Catholic Church. 2025 marks a Jubilee Year, a holy year of special reconciliation and forgiveness.
Leo XIV was born in Chicago and is a member of the Augustinian order. He has an extensive background in missionary work, but has also served as bishop of Chiclayo in Peru, and worked at the Vatican for the office that selects bishops. He is said to speak English, French, Spanish, Italian and Portuguese. He is a graduate of Villanova University.
His missionary background and choice of the name Leo, following the example of the last pope to have that name, Leo XIII, is an indication that he may be a slightly more progressive pope, much like his predecessor, Francis. Leo XIII is considered to have been the father of modern progressive Catholic social teaching, with a focus on social justice and labor rights.
Typically, it takes two to three days to chose a pope, although one conclave centuries ago took nearly three years. The last pope, Francis, was chosen on the third day of the conclave
The papal election is literally the world’s most exclusive, and the voting is different than what’s familiar to us.
When a pope dies or resigns, cardinals, who are some of the church’s top leaders, race to Rome to gather for a meeting called the conclave.
They’re locked inside the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican until they choose their next global spiritual leader. The cardinals, who are from about 70 countries, swear an oath of secrecy, electronic devices are jammed, and other security measures are taken. They’re cut off from the outside world completely until they make a choice.
The popular 2024 film “Conclave,” starring Ralph Fiennes, undoubtedly got some details of the process correct, but because of the secrecy, other parts were just as likely to be wrong.
One detail it got right: Each cardinal writes a choice on paper and drops it in an urn. If nobody gets two-thirds of the vote, they burn the ballots with chemicals to create black smoke. When someone wins, white smoke emerges from the chapel chimney. .
The winner’s first decision is to pick the name the world will know him by for the rest of his life. Then he puts on a white cassock and steps onto the balcony to greet the world.
MORE URL NETWORK COVERAGE OF THE PAPACY
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