New Pope, the 267th pontiff is the American Robert Francis Prevost which takes its name Leo XIV. It is the first American in history. The announcement was made from the Loggia delle Benedizioni in St. Peter’s Basilica by Dominique Mamberti, the cardinal protodeacon.Peace be with you all. This is the first greeting of the risen Christ,” were Prevost’s first words from the Loggia of Blessings.
In his first speech as Pope, Leo XIV chose to rely on the simplicity and strength of the Gospel. He thanked Pope Francis, who passed away just a few days ago, with a moving: “Thanks to Pope Francis”, greeted by a long applause from the crowd in the square. Then he recited a Hail Mary with the faithful "for world peace“, remembering that May 8th is the feast of Our Lady of Pompeii.
It's still: "Evil will not prevail. We are all in the hands of God. Without fear, united hand in hand, we move forward: we are disciples of Christ”.
He spoke of the light of God as necessary for humanity: “The world needs his light, humanity needs him to be reached by God and his love. Let us build bridges with dialogues, meetings, to be one people in peace”.
At the end of the speech, Leo XIV imparted the apostolic blessing with plenary indulgence for all those present in St. Peter's Square and for those following from home. A gesture that took on particular significance, being the first plenary indulgence after the one granted by Pope Francis in the message Urbi and Orbi of Easter Sunday, the eve of his death.
Pope Leo XIV is also a son of St. Augustine: an Augustinian, therefore close in theological sensitivity to Benedict XVI. He spent long years as missionary in Peru, bearing witness to a Church rooted in spirituality, service and proximity to local communities.
Who is Pope Leo XIV?
Robert Francis Prevost, 69 years old, is therefore the first American (but also of Peruvian nationality) in history to be elected Bishop of Rome. Born on September 14, 1955 in Chicago to a family of French-Spanish origin, he is entered the Order of St. Augustine in 1977, professing solemn vows in 1981. He carried out a long ministry in Peru, where he was bishop of Chiclayo and subsequently prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, a position entrusted to him by Pope Francis in 2023. A man of profound culture and multilingual, he held central roles in the government of the Church.
What does it mean? choice of the name Leo? Pope Leo XIII, that is Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci, born in Carpineto Romano, was Pope from 1878 to 1903. He wrote 86 encyclicals, including “Rerum Novarum”, which allowed him to be called the “Pope of workers”. It was the first social encyclical in the history of the Catholic Church.
New Pope: White Smoke at the Fourth Scrutiny
The white smoke from the conclave arrived today, Thursday 8 May, at 18.07:267. At the fourth session of scrutiny, the cardinal electors elected the XNUMXth pontiff in history, after the disappearance of Francesco occurred on April 21st. Looking away from the fireplace Sistine Chapel, the eyes of the world turned to the Loggia delle Benedizioni, to those red drapes hanging from the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica.
New Pope Today: White Smoke from the Conclave
In fact, shortly before 16pm, the 133 cardinals had reached the Sistine Chapel to proceed with the vote. At the end of lunch, in fact, the cardinals had gone to the Pauline Chapel for the traditional moment of prayer before making their entry into the Sistine Chapel. Here, in the afternoon, the vote that led to the white smoke, after the two previous black smokes.
At this point, the Dean of the College of Cardinals had the task of turning to the chosen one and asking him, in Latin: “Do you accept your canonical election as Supreme Pontiff?” And then: “By what name do you wish to be called?” The choice was then announced from the central balcony of St. Peter’s, with the famous formula: “Let's have papam".
New Pope: what legacy does he collect?
And now there is a whole calendar of commitments that looms and awaits the new Pope. It is a very busy agenda of deadlines on which the newly elected Pontiff will be called to pronounce himself starting from the days immediately following his ascension to the throne of Peter.
- Among the very first tasks, there is the choice of his most direct collaborators and the guides of the Curia Dicasteries, the government of the universal Church: so let's see who to confirm or nominate scratch for the various sectors, after all the positions – starting with that of Secretary of State, and with the exception of a very few – expired with the death of Pope Francis.
- Another decision that the Pope will have to make very soon will be whether to confirm the journey what Bergoglio should have done in Türkiye before the end of the month for the anniversary of the Council of Nicaea: a very important appointment on the ecumenical level, for which the Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew had always taken Francis' presence for granted, then cancelled due to illness. The trip has been prepared, and the new Pope will only have to decide whether to go personally, as the first trip of his pontificate, or to send his delegate.
- Among other appointments to be made, those concerning the canonizations which have been suspended, first of all that of carlo acutis, the millennial saint “patron of the web”, which was supposed to take place on April 27 on the occasion of the Jubilee of Adolescents. Also in sight is that of Pier Giorgio Frassati on August 3, at the end of the Jubilee of Youth, another great and eagerly awaited Jubilee event. Then there are those to be set – from Bartolo Longo, founder of the Shrine of Pompeii, to José Gregorio Hernández, the “people's doctor” who will be the first Venezuelan saint – to establish the date, a choice that Francis had postponed to a Consistory that he did not have time to schedule and lead.
- As for the Jubilee, the first commitments that await the new Pontiff in the near future and in rapid succession are the Jubilee of Confraternities from 16 to 18 May; the Jubilee of Families, Children, Grandparents and the Elderly from 30 May to 1 June; the Jubilee of Movements, Associations and New Communities from 7 to 8 June; the Jubilee of Sports from 14 to 15 June; the Jubilee of Government Leaders from 20 to 22 June; in the following days, that of Seminarians and Priests; the others will follow until the closing of the Holy Door, on 6 January 2026.
- The other great "construction site" that awaits the new Pontiff is the three-year “implementation phase” of the Synod on Synodality while, among the thorniest issues in sight, from 22 September the appeal of the trial on the management of funds of the Holy See and the sale of the Palace of London, strongly desired by Pope Francis, which will inevitably bring the spotlight back on Becciu affair.
(Last update: 19.45)
