Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, flanked by media photographers and clergymen, waves from the balcony of St Peter's Basilica.

Newly elected Pope Leo XIV, Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, greets the faithful as he appears from the Central Loggia of St Peter's Square in the Vatican. Credit: Vatican Pool - Corbis / Getty Images

This blog has now ended

World

The election of Pope Leo XIV — as it happened

Cardinal Robert Prevost, considered a surprise choice for leader of the Catholic Church, has spent most of his career as a missionary in Peru.

Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, flanked by media photographers and clergymen, waves from the balcony of St Peter's Basilica.

Newly elected Pope Leo XIV, Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, greets the faithful as he appears from the Central Loggia of St Peter's Square in the Vatican. Credit: Vatican Pool - Corbis / Getty Images

Published

Updated

Source: SBS, Reuters, AAP

Share this with family and friends

PINNED
22h ago
That's a wrap
Thank you for joining our live coverage.

We found out this morning that Cardinal Robert Prevost, a little-known missionary from Chicago, had been elected as the new leader of the Catholic Church. He's taken the name Pope Leo XIV and it's expected that his orientation as pontiff will be somewhat similar to that of Pope Francis.

Here are some key moments from the day:
  • Pope Leo XIV addressed a somewhat confused crowd on the central balcony of St Peter's Basilica — many of whom did not know his name. In his speech, Leo spoke in Spanish and Italian and thanked his predecessor.
  • US President Donald Trump said Leo's appointment as the first North American pontiff was a "great honour for our country". However, the MAGA movement has criticised his appointment after unverified posts on X surfaced, showing Leo had previously criticised the policies and opinions of both Trump and US Vice President JD Vance.
  • Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the new pope had arrived at an "important time" for the Catholic church and extended an invite for him to visit Australia in 2028.
  • Pope Leo XIV is considered to be somewhat progressive. However, he has previously stated his opposition to women being ordained as priests. A clerical abuse advocacy group also expressed "grave concern" over his election, saying he had previously failed to take action against suspected predatory priests.
- Alexandra Koster
1 day ago
Leo repeats Francis' call for a Church engaged with modern world
Pope Leo becomes the 267th Catholic pontiff after
the death last month of Pope Francis
, who was the first Latin American pope and had led the Church for 12 years and widely sought to open the staid institution up to the modern world.

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".

Ahead of the conclave, some cardinals called for continuity with Francis' vision of greater openness and reform, while others said they wanted to return to an embrace of old traditions.
READ MORE

Francis, 'the people's pope' who sought to bring an ancient institution into the modern era

Unlike Francis, who spurned much of the trappings of the papacy, Prevost wore a traditional red papal garment over his white cassock.

The last pope to take the name Leo led the Church from 1878-1903 and was known for his devoted focus on social justice issues, and is often credited with laying the foundation for modern Catholic social teaching.

Prevost has attracted interest from his peers because of his quiet style and support for Francis, especially his commitment to social justice issues.

He said during a 2023 Vatican press conference: "Our work is to enlarge the tent and to let everyone know they are welcome inside the Church."
1 day ago
'Peace be with you all'
Cardinal Robert Prevost has been elected in a surprise choice to be the new leader of the Catholic Church, taking the name Pope Leo XIV, becoming the first pontiff from the United States.

Pope Leo appeared on the central balcony of St Peter's Basilica about 70 minutes after white smoke billowed from a chimney atop the Sistine Chapel, signifying the 133 cardinal electors had chosen a new leader for the 1.4 billion-member Catholic Church.

"Peace be with you all," the pope told the cheering crowd, speaking in fluent Italian.

Aged 69 and originally from Chicago, Prevost has spent most of his career as a missionary in Peru and became a cardinal only in 2023.

A member of the Augustinian religious order, he has given few media interviews and rarely speaks in public.
2of2
Share