Updated: Catholic Church Welcomes Robert Prevost as New Pope
A plume of white smoke drifting from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel on Wednesday announced to the world what millions had been waiting for: the Roman Catholic Church has a new pope.
The new Pope was later reviewed to be Robert Prevost, an American, who has chosen the Papal name Pope Leo XIV.
His election came after two days of solemn and secretive deliberations behind closed doors at the Vatican. Inside the ancient halls, 133 cardinal-electors gathered in a highly anticipated papal conclave to choose the Church’s next spiritual leader.
As the smoke rose against the Roman sky, the crowds in St. Peter’s Square erupted in cheers, signaling the end of the suspense and the beginning of a new chapter for the world’s 1.3 billion Catholics.
