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Cardinal Robert Prevost was elected as the surprise choice to be the new leader of the Catholic Church, becoming the first US pope and taking the name Leo XIV.
A long-time missionary in Latin America, Pope Leo appeared on the central balcony of St Peter's Basilica after white smoke billowed from a chimney atop the Sistine Chapel. That signified the 133 cardinal electors had chosen him as a successor to Francis, who died last month, reports Reuters.
"Peace be with you all," he told the cheering crowd, speaking in fluent Italian.
Prevost, 69 and originally from Chicago, has spent most of his career as a missionary in Peru and has dual Peruvian nationality. He became a cardinal only in 2023.
The appointment was welcomed by the Peruvian president Dina Boluarte. President Donald Trump also swiftly congratulated him.
However, the new pope has a history of criticising Trump and Vice President JD Vance's policies, according to posts on the X account of Robert Prevost.
CALL FOR CHARITY
Prevost becomes the 267th Catholic pope following the death of Francis.
Leo thanked Francis in his speech and repeated his predecessor's call for a Church that is engaged with the modern world and "is always looking for peace, charity and being close to people, especially those who are suffering".
The last pope to take the name Leo led the Church from 1878-1903. Leo XIII was known for his devoted focus to social justice issues, and is often credited with laying the foundation for modern Catholic social teaching.