Less than 48 hours after 133 Catholic cardinals filed into the majestic Sistine Chapel to cast their votes for a new pope, white smoke billowed out of the chimney of the chapel, indicating that a new spiritual leader had been chosen.
Shortly afterwards, a tanned, bespectacled man in his priestly robes appeared in the central balcony to address the 40,000-strong crowd gathered in St Peter’s Square as well as millions of Catholics watching around the world.
“I really missed Pope Francis,” said Christopher Omoregbee, a Nigerian Catholic who followed the papal conclave closely. “But [Pope Leo XIV] is a huge consolation. He’s destined for greatness.”
Who is Pope Leo XIV?
Robert Francis Prevost was born in Chicago in 1955. A trained mathematician, he gave his solemn vows in 1981 and was part of a mission dispatched to Peru, where he spent a large chunk of his life. For two decades, he served as a parish priest, a teacher and, later, a bishop, becoming naturalised in 2015.
In 2023, Prevost was elevated to archbishop by Pope Francis. In the years since then, he was in charge of vetting and managing bishops globally. Prevost will succeed Francis as the 267th leader of the Catholic Church and the first American pope in history.
Women’s and Gays’ rights
Until his death last April, Pope Francis was noted for his progressive views and his deep concern for the downtrodden. He was particularly open to topics like homosexuality and divorce and even appointed women to senior posts.
Pope Leo XIV may not be a wild card like his Latin American predecessor, but he does share similar traits. His papal name is an homage to Pope Leo XIII (1879–1903), who advocated for safe working conditions and the rights of workers to join trade unions.
Pope Leo XIV is famous for discretion and reserve. He has pushed back against the anti-immigration stance of the Trump administration. He rebuked J.D. Vance, U.S. vice president, on X for his anti-immigration views. Similarly, he retweeted a post decrying the deportation of a migrant from America to El Salvador.
Yet Pope Leo XIV differs on several fronts. Compared with his predecessor, the new pontiff is strongly opposed to accepting women as deacons into the holy order.
And he is hardly welcoming of gay people, once raising concern about the promotion of “sympathy for beliefs that are at odds with the gospel”. As examples, he cited the “homosexual lifestyle” and “alternative families comprised of same-sex partners and their adopted children”.
While an American Jesuit priest who advocates for gay people has described Prevost’s election as “a brilliant choice,” it remains to be seen what approach the new papacy will take to women and gay Catholics.
A break with convention
Pope Leo XIV’s election as the new pontiff breaks a longstanding Vatican tradition of choosing the spiritual leader from a country regarded as the geopolitical superpower. Speculation over who would succeed Francis was rife in the days preceding the conclave.
The favourite choice was Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s Secretary of State. At least three African cardinals—Fridolin Ambongu Besungu, Congo; Robert Sarah, Guinea; and Peter Turkson, Ghana—were among the frontrunners, raising the possibility of an African pope.
Yet the conclave’s decision appears to buttress the old papal saying that “he who enters the conclave as pope leaves it as a cardinal.”
In addition to leading 1.4 billion followers globally, the new pontiff presides over complex debates such as accountability for sexual abuse by clergymen and the Church’s attitudes towards women and LGBTQ Catholics—issues that have created ruinous divisions in the church.
As he addressed the world from St Peter’s Basilica on Thursday, Pope Leo XIV invoked the ideas of justice and charity in those first words of his speech: “Peace be with you.”
Less than 48 hours after the conclave began, Pope Leo XIV was elected as the new leader of the Catholic Church. Born Robert Francis Prevost in Chicago in 1955, he is the first American pope in history. With a background in mathematics, Prevost has spent many years in Peru within religious capacities, eventually becoming a bishop and then an archbishop under Pope Francis in 2023. Known for his discretion and reserve, Pope Leo XIV has publicly opposed anti-immigration policies and expressed dissent towards U.S. vice president J.D. Vance's anti-immigration views.
While Pope Leo XIV shares some traits with his progressive predecessor, Pope Francis, he differs on several key issues. He stands against the ordination of women as deacons and is less supportive of the LGBTQ community and non-traditional family structures, citing concerns over sympathy for beliefs that contradict the gospel. His election marks a break from traditional Vatican patterns, with speculation rife that he'd be succeeded by high-profile contenders, yet he emerged as the pontiff.
Pope Leo XIV's leadership comes at a time when the Church faces internal challenges, such as addressing sexual abuse accountability and debates on women and LGBTQ Catholics. In his first address from St Peter's Basilica, he emphasized justice and charity with his opening message: “Peace be with you.”
