HISTORY has been made as the First American Pope will lead the Catholic church with outsider Robert Prevost taking up name of Leo XIV after less than 24 hours of secret voting in the Sistine Chapel.
The new Pope – known to many as “Father Bob” – stepped out onto the balcony in the Vatican to cheering crowds as he greeted them by saying “peace be with you”.
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Leo XIV told the crowds: “We must be a church that builds bridges”Credit: AP
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Robert Prevost’s first words as Pope were simply: “Peace be with you”Credit: Reuters
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It would be the first American Pope in historyCredit: Reuters
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Cardinals listen as newly elected Pope Leo delivers the “Urbi et Orbi” messageCredit: Reuters
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White smoke billowed from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel around 5pmCredit: AP
The Chicago-born Pope, 69, was announced after Cardinal Mamberti declared: “Habemus papam!” – Latin for “We have a pope!”.
Leo XIV’s life saw him start out as an altar boy, before studying maths and joining the church – spending much of his years as a missionary working in South America.
His election saw him come from being a total outsider – with odds of 66/1 before he was unveiled to crowds of the faithful in Rome.
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