White smoke plumes rose to the sky as bells chimed and people clapped and cheered: a new Pope has been elected!
“Habemus Papam,” “We have a pope announced Cardinal Prodeacon Dominique Mamberti as he introduced the crowds gathered below at St Peter’s Square to the new pontiff, the 267th Bishop of Rome, and leader of the Vatican City.
His first words to his congregation were “Peace be with all of you!”.
Who is the new pope?
The conclave elected Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost to be the new pope. He is the second pope elected from the Americas, as Pope Francis was born in Argentina. However, he is the first Pope born in the United States of America.
Pope Leo was born in Chicago, Illinois, in 1955 (making him 69 as of May 2025). In his youth, he served as an altar boy and was ordained in 1982 into the Augustinian Order. Making him the first Augustinian pope.
When he was 30 years old, he emigrated to Peru on an Augustinian mission and has since attained Peruvian nationality. He spent a decade as a parish priest and teacher at a seminary in the north-west of Peru in a town called Trujillo. Furthermore, Pope Francis made him Bishop of Chiclayo in 2014. However, he did frequently return to Chicago to serve as a priest and paster.
He rose to archbishop and was a prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops in Latin America (which selects and supervises bishops). In 2023, Pope Francis made him a cardinal. He subsequently became a member of the College of Cardinals, who choose the next pontiff in the conclave.
What is the new Pope’s chosen name?
Pope Leo is the 14th pontiff to choose the name Leo. There is no official rule that a new pontiff has to change his name. The first pope, St Peter, was actually born Simon and was renamed by Jesus in The Bible.
In AD 533, Mercurius was the first pontiff to choose a new name as his name had pagan connotations (aka the Roman god Mercury). As mentioned, there is no official or formal rule, it is traditionally symbolic. And the name “Peter” is usually not acceptable. But on being elected, the new pontiff will be asked what his chosen name is.
Pope Leo I (also known as Saint Leo the Great) did not choose the name “Leo” — he was born Leo, and at the time (5th century), popes did not customarily change their names when elected. The tradition of adopting a new papal name didn’t begin until the 6th century, with Pope John II in 533 AD.
“Later popes chose the name ‘Leo’ to align themselves with the legacy of Leo I, under whose pontificate the Western Roman Empire came to an end and key theological divisions began to emerge in the Eastern Church — divisions that would eventually lead to a split in Christendom. Leo I was dedicated to preserving orthodoxy and reinforcing the unity of the Western Church under papal authority.
What are Pope Leo XIV’s views?
Pope Leo XIV is considered a centrist in the eyes of many. Not as progressive as his predecessor, but aligned with him on his stance on migrants, the underprivileged, and the environment. However, he differed with him on his views on LGBT rights within the Catholic Church’s doctrines.
However, he is quite conservative when it comes to his views on LGBT rights.
Reportedly, in a 2012 address to bishops, he expressed concern that Western news media and popular culture were encouraging acceptance of values he believed conflicted with the teachings of the gospel. He pointed specifically to what he described as the “homosexual lifestyle” and “alternative families made up of same-sex couples and their adopted children.”
He also opposed the Peruvian government’s plan to add education on different genders to the schools’ curriculum.
He was also accused of mishandling an investigation into sexual abuse by two fellow priests in Chiclayo while he was bishop there.
How have local people reacted to Pope Leo XIV?
Bishop Vincent Long OFM Conv, the Bishop of Parramatta, has welcomed the news, saying in a statement, “This is a joyful moment for the universal Church and a deeply meaningful one for our local
[Augustinian] community in Western Sydney and the Blue Mountains.”
Father David Austin OSA, who is a former Provincial of the Australian Augustinians, was “absolutely thrilled: and called Pope Leo XIV not just a spiritual leader, but a “personal friend.”
“He always remained grounded, no matter the role. As Prior General, he knew the names of Augustinians across the world. That’s who he is – connected, humble, and present.”
