The Election of Pope Leo XIV

It was just after six p.m. Vatican time when white smoke rose from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel and the bells of Saint Peter’s Basilica began to ring. Thousands gathered in the square below, erupting in cheers. Nuns wept. Tourists cheered. And somewhere inside the Apostolic Palace, the new pope was changing into his white cassock. Robert Francis Prevost of Chicago had just been elected as the two hundred sixty-seventh pope of the Roman Catholic Church. And with that, he became the first American ever to lead the Church, taking the name Leo the Fourteenth.

The announcement came swiftly. The conclave had only begun the previous day. This was fast, even by Vatican standards—a sign that the cardinals were not deeply divided. Leo the Fourteenth was elected in fewer than five ballots. When Cardinal Dominique Mamberti stepped onto the balcony of Saint Peter’s and announced his name in Latin, many in the crowd were visibly confused. Some said aloud, "Who?" Few had expected the quiet Augustinian from Chicago to emerge as the successor to Pope Francis.
When Pope Leo the Fourteenth finally appeared on the balcony, he did not wave immediately. He stood still, visibly moved, looking out over the crowd waving banners, including several American flags. His voice, when he finally spoke, was calm, warm, and direct.

"Peace be with you all," he said. It was a deliberate echo of the Risen Christ’s greeting to his disciples. What followed was a short speech in Italian and Spanish that emphasized unity and humility.

He thanked Pope Francis, spoke of building bridges, and nodded to his own formation: “I am a son of Saint Augustine. With you I am a Christian; for you I am a bishop.” He concluded with a direct message to his former diocese in Chiclayo, Peru—expressing gratitude for the years he spent serving its people.
And just like that, the papacy of Leo the Fourteenth had begun.

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