Cardinal Robert Prevost be the next pope, taking the reins of the Roman Catholic Church after the death of Pope Francis last month.
He has taken the name Pope Leo XIV.
Cardinal Robert Prevost — who was born in Chicago — is an American missionary who spent his career ministering in Peru and leads the Vatican’s powerful office of bishops.
White smoke appeared from the Sistine Chapel chimney on Thursday afternoon, signifying to the world that the College of Cardinals had reached the required two-thirds majority on the new pope.
The 133 eligible voting cardinals have been sequestered in the historic chapel for a secretive voting process known as the conclave.
Several names have been called lead contenders ahead of the conclave, but the relatively new pool of cardinals in the running – about 80% in the conclave were appointed since Francis was named in 2013 – has left speculation difficult.
Among the top contenders is Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s secretary of state under Francis who presided over the conclave.
The 70-year-old is considered far less charismatic than Francis was but has been called a savvy statesman who could be an asset for the Catholic Church’s standing in the world. But some say he is too much a bureaucrat and not enough a pastor – and that the leader of the Catholics should be focused on religion and not diplomacy.
Stay tuned for more updates as the Vatican prepares to formally introduce its 267th pope.
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