Cardinal Robert Prevost has been elected as the new leader of the Catholic Church, taking the name Pope Leo XIV.

Chosen by 133 Cardinal electors inside the Sistine Chapel, his election was signaled by the famous white smoke rising over the Vatican. Shortly after, the senior cardinal deacon stepped onto the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica and declared the iconic words: “Habemus Papam!”

Born in Chicago and a member of the Order of St. Augustine, Pope Leo XIV becomes the first American to ever ascend to the papacy — now leading over a billion Catholics worldwide.

Truly a historic moment in the heart of Rome.