Overview:
Robert Prevost, a Chicago native and longtime missionary in Peru, has been elected as the first pope from the United States, choosing the name Leo XIV. Among the electors was Haitian Cardinal Chibly Langlois, who made history as Haiti’s first cardinal to participate in the sacred conclave.
By NICOLE WINFIELD Associated Press | Additional reporting and editing by The Haitian Times
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Robert Prevost, a missionary who spent his career ministering in Peru and took over the Vatican’s powerful office of bishops, was elected the first pope from the United States in the 2,000-year history of the Catholic Church.
Prevost, a 69-year-old member of the Augustinian religious order, took the name Leo XIV.
In his first words as Pope Francis’ successor, uttered from the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica, Leo said, “Peace be with you,” and emphasized a message of peace, dialogue and missionary evangelization. He wore the traditional red cape of the papacy — a cape that Francis had eschewed on his election in 2013.
Prevost had been a leading candidate for the papacy, but there had long been a taboo against a U.S. pope, given the country’s geopolitical power already wielded in the secular sphere. But Prevost, a Chicago native, was seemingly eligible because he’s also a Peruvian citizen and lived for years in Peru, first as a missionary and then as an archbishop.
Pope Francis clearly had his eye on Prevost and in many ways saw him as his heir apparent. He brought Prevost to the Vatican in 2023 to serve as the powerful head of the office that vets bishop nominations from around the world, one of the most important jobs in the Catholic Church. And in January he elevated him into the senior ranks of cardinals. As a result, Prevost had a prominence going into the conclave that few other cardinals had.
The crowd in St. Peter’s Square erupted in cheers when white smoke poured out of the Sistine Chapel on the second day of the conclave. Priests made the sign of the cross and nuns wept as the crowd shouted “Viva il papa!”
Waving flags from around the world, tens of thousands of people waited to learn who had won and were shocked when an hour later, the senior cardinal deacon appeared on the loggia and said “Habemus Papam!” and announced the winner was Prevost.
He spoke to the crowd in Italian and Spanish, but not English.
The last pope to take the name Leo was Leo XIII, an Italian who led the church from 1878 to 1903. That Leo softened the church’s confrontational stance toward modernity, especially science and politics and laid the foundation for modern Catholic social thought, most famously with his 1891 encyclical Rerum Novarum, which addressed workers’ rights and capitalism.
Haitian participation in a historic conclave
Among those casting ballots to elect Leo XIV was Haitian Cardinal Chibly Langlois, bishop of Les Cayes and the first Haitian ever to take part in a papal conclave. His participation marked a historic milestone for Haiti, offering the Caribbean nation a voice in one of the Church’s most sacred decisions.
Langlois’ vote underscored the increasing representation of leaders from marginalized and underrepresented regions, including those like Haiti, which has long faced political instability and natural disasters. His role reflects the Church’s ongoing commitment to elevating voices from the global south, a shift championed by Pope Francis.
Pope Leo XIV’s election came on the second day of the conclave, which began after the death of Pope Francis last month. The conclave process followed centuries-old traditions, with cardinals writing their selections on paper ballots and sealing them in an urn before the votes were tallied.
Prevost succeeds Pope Francis, who was widely known for his efforts to modernize the Church and amplify the voices of poorer nations. Observers now watch closely to see how Leo XIV will continue or diverge from that path.