Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost of the United States has been elected the 267th pope, becoming the new spiritual leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics. He will be known as Pope Leo XIV.
Prevost, 69, hails from Chicago, Illinois, and makes history as the first American to ascend to the papacy. His election was confirmed Thursday following the appearance of white smoke from the Sistine Chapel, signaling that the College of Cardinals had reached a decision.
