Newly elected Pope Leo XIV appears on the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica

Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost of the United States has been elected the 267th pope and will soon step onto the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica as the new leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics.

Prevost, 69, from Chicago, Illinois, is the first ever pope from the United States. He will be known as Leo XIV.

A leader with global experience, he spent much of his career as a missionary in South America and most recently led a powerful Vatican office for bishop appointments. He is expected to build on Pope Francis’ reforms.

He worked for a decade in Trujillo, Peru, and was later appointed bishop of Chiclayo, another Peruvian city, where he served from 2014 to 2023.

When Pope Francis stepped onto the balcony in 2013, he did so dressed in simple white robes, shunning much of the papal pomp of his predecessors.

He chose “Francis” as his papal name in honor of Francis of Assisi, the Italian saint who renounced his family wealth and championed the poor.

Francis also addressed the crowd with the simple Italian greeting, “Buona sera,” meaning “good evening.”

In his first words as pope, Leo XIV said to the crowd in St. Peter’s Square: “Peace be with you all.”

“This is the first greetings of the resurrected Christ, the good shepherd who has given up his life for God,” he said, explaining the choice of his greeting. “And I should also like this greeting of peace to enter our hearts and our families.”

Leo XIV looked visibly emotional as he waved to the adoring crowd in the square below the balcony.