Hard Wire

First American Pope Named

3.9k Views
Newly elected Pope Leo XIV, Robert Prevost arrives on the main central loggia balcony of the St Peter's Basilica for the first time, after the cardinals ended the conclave, in The Vatican, on May 8, 2025. Robert Francis Prevost was on Thursday elected the first pope from the United States, the Vatican announced. A moderate who was close to Pope Francis and spent years as a missionary in Peru, he becomes the Catholic Church's 267th pontiff, taking the papal name Leo XIV. (Photo by Alberto PIZZOLI / AFP) (Photo by ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP via Getty Images)

In a moment filled with reverence, tradition, and global astonishment, history unfolded above the Sistine Chapel as white smoke billowed into the Roman sky. The papal conclave had concluded, and with it, the Catholic Church welcomed a new Supreme Pontiff: Cardinal Robert Prevost of Chicago—now Pope Leo XIV.

This unexpected elevation marks a profound shift for the world’s 1.3 billion Catholics. Prevost, whose name scarcely circulated among Vatican-watchers in recent days, emerged from the conclave's sacred deliberations not only as the 267th pope but as a symbol of a renewed, perhaps recalibrated, global Catholic identity. He is the first American to assume the papacy—an outcome few foresaw.


The selection, reached on the fourth ballot, stunned even seasoned Vatican observers. Cardinal Prevost’s broad pastoral and international résumé, however, may explain the choice. A native of Chicago born in 1955, Prevost’s decades-long service to the Church spans continents and cultures. Educated at Villanova, Catholic Theological Union, and the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas, he joined the Augustinian order and embraced its charism of “love and learning.” This ethos has defined his life’s work, particularly his nearly two decades of missionary service in Peru.

From administering a parish in the rugged outskirts of Trujillo to guiding seminarians and serving as a judge in the ecclesiastical courts, Prevost built an enduring reputation for humility, scholarship, and leadership. His later election as prior general of the global Augustinian order placed him at the helm of an international network of friars across nearly 50 countries—a post he held for over a decade before being called again to shepherd the Diocese of Chiclayo in Peru.


Most recently, under Pope Francis, he was brought back to Rome for a critical role in the Roman Curia in 2023—an assignment that brought him once more into the heart of Church governance. His rapid ascent to the papacy just one year later speaks volumes about his standing among the College of Cardinals.

The drama of the conclave culminated at 6:07 p.m. Rome time, when the unmistakable white smoke signaled to a breathless St. Peter’s Square that the Church had chosen. Minutes later, French Cardinal Dominique Mamberti’s voice rang out from the Loggia of Blessings: “Habemus Papam!” Moments later, Pope Leo XIV stepped forward, offering his solemn Urbi et Orbi blessing.


Behind the grandeur lies an intimate ritual few outside the Vatican ever witness. After accepting the election, Prevost would have entered the “Room of Tears,” a chamber adjacent to the Sistine Chapel, where the gravity of his new calling meets sacred tradition. There, in a moment of solitude and prayer, he donned papal vestments—three sizes prepared in advance—before emerging to meet the world in white.

His choice of name, Leo XIV, invokes powerful echoes of history. The last Pope Leo—Leo XIII—served until 1903 and was known for his intellect, diplomacy, and groundbreaking encyclicals on social justice. The name suggests a papacy anchored in thought, conviction, and perhaps reform.

Previous Biden Has Big Sit Down Interview
Next Governor's Insiders Discuss Plan In Ohio