National Geographic
Amid the ancient pomp and ceremony of the Vatican, former Cardinal Robert Prevost has emerged onto the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica as the first U.S.-born pope in history. He has taken the papal name of Leo XIV—a name that the vast crowd in St. Peter’s Square took up with a spontaneous chant of “Le-on-e," the Italian version of the Latin Leo. After a relatively short conclave, Pope Leo XIV appeared overwhelmed with emotion as the crowd in St. Peter's Square rapturously welcomed him. Now, Vatican insiders are guessing among themselves how much change to expect.
Prevost, 69, hails from Chicago, Illinois, and has spent much of his career in South America. He is only the third pope in history to be an Augustinian friar, one of the followers of the rule of the fifth-century St. Augustine of Hippo who are known for pastoral care, education, and missionary work.
See photos from the Vatican and learn more about Prevost's life and work at the link in bio.
Photographs by Guglielmo Mangiapane/Reuters/Redux, Emilio Morenatti/AP Photo, and Murad Sezer/Reuters/Redux