Pope Robert Prevost
By Our ReporterÂ
Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost has been selected as the 267th pope in history. He will be known as Pope Leo XIV.
Prevost, who is originally from Chicago and is the first American to serve in the role, emerged as the successor to the late Pope Francis on the second day of voting by a papal conclave of more than 130 cardinals.
By tradition, he made an appearance on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica to greet a large crowd on St. Peter’s Square after officially being selected.
Prevost is the first new pope since 2013 and succeeds Pope Francis, who died at 88 on April 21. The conclave typically begins 15 to 20 days after a pope’s death.
The 2013 conclave lasted two days before the choice of Francis, who succeeded Pope Benedict XVI after he resigned from his papal duties.
The latest conclave began on May 7, when the cardinals were sequestered in the Sistine Chapel in the Apostolic Palace in Vatican City. There is no time limit for a conclave.
The cardinals voted once on May 7 to open the conclave. By rule, every day thereafter consists of four rounds of voting and two rounds of smoke emerging from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel.
Ballots are burned twice a day in the Sistine Chapel to signal whether a new pope has been elected or not. Black smoke signifies that a selection has not been made, while white smoke indicates a new pope has been chosen.
