Robert Prevost, a cardinal from the United States, has been elected as the new head of the Roman Catholic Church. He is the first US pontiff and takes the name Leo XIV.
In his first speech as pontiff, he said the church should “build bridges” and “welcome everyone”.
More than 100 Roman Catholic cardinals meeting in a secret conclave elected the new pope.
White smoke appeared from a chimney atop the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican on Thursday, signalling that a conclusive vote was held.
The conclave followed the death of Pope Francis in April.
Pope Leo has started his first address since assuming the role.
“Evil will not prevail, we are in the hands of God,” he told supporters. “So without fear, united hand in hand with God and among ourselves, we go forward”
“Thank you Pope Francis,” he said.
He called for a “missionary church…that builds bridges, is always open to welcome everyone”, he said.
Newly appointed Pope Leo XIV has made his first public appearance, standing on the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica.
He waved with both hands to cheering supporters below, some waving the American flag.
- Who is Cardinal Robert Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV?
Prevost is a US and Peruvian citizen, who was brought to the Vatican in 2023 by Pope Francis to serve as the powerful head of the office that vets bishop nominations from around the world, widely considered one of the most important jobs in the Catholic Church.
While a native of Chicago, Prevost has lived for years in Peru, first as a missionary and then as an archbishop.
Prevost was also twice elected prior general, or top leader, of the Augustinian religious order, the 13th century order founded by St Augustine.
Ever since he arrived in Rome, Prevost has kept a low public profile, but he is well known to the men who count.
Significantly, he presided over one of the most consequential reforms Francis made, when he added three women to the voting bloc that decides which bishop nominations to forward to the pope.
- ‘This is wonderful, so quick and so united’
“The Cardinals have obviously been speaking to each other for these days between the funeral and now the conclave, and then in four votes, they’ve come to elect somebody”, Jack Valero, the founder of Catholic Voices and commentator on church affairs, tells Al Jazeera.
“89 Cardinals or more have voted for someone, this is very quick and very good for the church being united,” he said.
“This is the same time it took to elect Benedict XVI and John Paul the First”, Valero said, adding, “Pius XII was elected in the 1930s in three ballots.
“Now, we had this situation where we had Cardinals from all over the world, thanks to Francis bringing lots of different perspectives of what it’s like to be Catholic in North America, South America, Asia, Africa, Western Europe, Eastern Europe…and yet, we have been able to choose a leader very quickly, which is wonderful” he said. (THEUPDATE, Vatican News & Aljazeera)
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