History was made today as Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, a 69-year-old Chicago-born cleric, was elected the 267th pope of the Roman Catholic Church, taking the name Pope Leo XIV.

He is the first American in the Church’s two-millennia-long history to ascend to the papacy.

White smoke rising from the Sistine Chapel and the ringing of bells signaled the end of the conclave, sending waves of joy and anticipation through the crowds in St Peter’s Square.

Moments later, Pope Leo XIV stepped onto the Vatican balcony to the thunderous cheers of thousands of faithful gathered below.

“May peace be with all of you,” he began, speaking in confident Italian before briefly switching to Spanish to thank his former diocese in Peru, where he had served as a missionary and later as an archbishop.

“I would like this greeting of peace to reach all your hearts and families… and people around the world,” he said, his calm tone resonating with the sea of pilgrims, many of whom held candles or waved flags.

The crowd erupted into applause several times during his address, especially when he paid tribute to the late Pope Francis and called for global unity.

A passionate advocate of reform and dialogue, Pope Leo XIV emphasized the Church’s role as a beacon of hope in a divided world.

Concluding his address, the pope invited the crowd to join him in prayer.

As he began reciting the Ave Maria, the square grew still, then gradually filled with a collective hum, people praying and singing along, some in their native tongues.

With his head bowed and hands joined in reverence, Pope Leo XIV stood beneath the towering crucifix behind him, a powerful image symbolizing both continuity and new beginnings.

The new pope is expected to outline his vision and priorities during his inauguration Mass in the coming days.

But today, his first words as pontiff set the tone: a call for peace, prayer, and unity in a world that sorely needs it.

Habemus Papam: Pope Leo XIV has begun.

Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost of the United States has been unveiled as the new pope, taking the name Pope Leone XIV, DAILY GAZETTE can report.

The announcement came moments after white smoke emerged from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel, signaling that the cardinal electors had reached a decision.

Cheers erupted from the crowd gathered in St Peter’s Square as Cardinal Jean-Pierre Ricard, the senior cardinal deacon, stepped onto the central balcony of St Peter’s Basilica and proclaimed the traditional Latin formula: “Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum: Habemus Papam!” — “I announce to you a great joy: We have a Pope!”

Pope Leone XIV, formerly the Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops and a key figure in Church governance under Pope Francis, becomes the first American-born pontiff in the Church’s 2,000-year history.

His election marks a watershed moment for the global Catholic community, reflecting both the growing influence of the Church in the Americas and a continuation of efforts to address modern challenges facing the faith.

Wearing white papal vestments for the first time, the 69-year-old appeared calm and solemn as he waved to the crowd and offered his inaugural blessing, the Urbi et Orbi — “To the City and the World.”

In a brief address, the new pope thanked the cardinals for their trust and invoked the memory of his predecessor, Pope Francis, whose papacy was marked by reforms, humility, and a focus on social justice.

“I take this name, Leone, in honor of Pope Leo XIII, whose voice for the working poor and the dignity of labor inspires me still,” he said.

As the 267th successor of St. Peter, Pope Leone XIV faces a Church at a crossroads, grappling with declining vocations in the West, internal divisions between traditionalists and reformers, and the ongoing aftermath of abuse scandals.

Yet, his experience as a missionary in Latin America and administrator in Rome positions him uniquely to bridge divides.

Born in Chicago in 1955, Prevost was a member of the Order of St. Augustine and served as a bishop in Peru before being called to the Vatican.

Known for his deep spirituality, administrative skill, and quiet resolve, he has long been seen as a bridge-builder.

His papal inauguration is expected to take place within the next few days, at a Mass attended by global dignitaries and thousands of the faithful.

Meanwhile, pilgrims continue to flock to Rome, many moved by the significance of this moment.

In a historic moment for the Catholic Church and the global community, the College of Cardinals has elected a new pope following the death of Pope Francis, DAILY GAZETTE reports.

White smoke rose from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel on Thursday evening, announcing to the world that a new pope has been elected to lead the Roman Catholic Church’s 1.4 billion faithful.

The long-anticipated moment drew cheers and applause from the thousands gathered in St Peter’s Square, their eyes fixed on the Vatican skyline as the bells of St Peter’s Basilica began to toll.

This moment marks the end of a historic conclave, the largest in Church history, as 133 cardinals from across the globe cast their votes in solemn secrecy.

Their task: to choose a successor to Pope Francis, the Argentine reformer who died last month after a 12-year papacy marked by humility, inclusiveness, and bold reforms.

After two inconclusive rounds, signaled by black smoke on Wednesday and again on Thursday midday, the white smoke at just past 6:00 p.m. Rome time (1600 GMT) signified consensus.

The Church’s 267th pontiff has been chosen.

Inside the Vatican, the newly elected pope entered the traditional “Room of Tears,” where new popes often shed private emotion before donning the white cassock.

Soon after, he returned to the Sistine Chapel to receive the pledges of obedience from his fellow cardinals.

Now, the eyes of the world turn to the central balcony of St Peter’s Basilica. There, a senior cardinal will soon deliver the historic Latin phrase “Habemus Papam” , “We have a pope”, followed by the pope’s chosen name.

Then, for the first time, the new pontiff will greet the world and deliver his first Urbi et Orbi (“To the City and the World”) blessing.

The new pope assumes office at a time of global turbulence and internal Church struggles.

Alongside asserting moral leadership in an era of war, migration crises, and political extremism, he must also confront long-standing scandals of clerical abuse, waning Church attendance in the West, and the need for greater financial transparency within the Vatican.

The conclave itself reflected the Church’s diversity: a majority of voting cardinals were appointed by Pope Francis and represented 70 countries.

Yet despite the Francis-era appointments, uncertainty surrounded whether the electors would choose a candidate in his reformist image or turn toward a more conservative figure focused on traditional doctrine.

Church insiders and observers debated whether the next pope would be a pastoral leader or a skilled diplomat, someone steeped in Vatican bureaucracy or a fresh voice from the Global South, where Catholicism continues to flourish.

Before the conclave began, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, the dean of the College of Cardinals, urged his peers to elect someone capable of unifying a fragmented Church and providing clear spiritual leadership in an increasingly polarized world.

The new pope’s public inauguration Mass is expected within days, attended by global leaders and religious figures.

He is also expected to tour St Peter’s Square in the popemobile and deliver a homily laying out his vision for the Church’s future.

Black smoke rose once again from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel on Thursday, signalling that Catholic cardinals have yet to elect a successor to Pope Francis, who passed away on April 21 at the age of 88.

The plume of smoke, witnessed by thousands gathered in St Peter’s Square, came after the second and third rounds of voting failed to yield a winner.

According to tradition, black smoke means no candidate has received the required two-thirds majority, 89 of the 133 votes, while white smoke indicates the election of the new, 267th pope.

Among those observing the event was Barbara Mason, 50, who traveled from Canada.

“I don’t want it rushed , whatever they need to do to make the right decision,” she said, expressing hope for a pontiff who would uphold Pope Francis’s progressive values, particularly on climate and migration.

She added that she is praying the Church continues “going forward, not going backward.”

The 133 cardinal electors, all under the age of 80, entered the conclave on Wednesday evening and are now completely sequestered from the outside world.

Their only communication comes in the form of smoke rising from the chapel.

Each round of ballots is burned in a traditional cast iron stove, and chemicals added to a newer stove determine the smoke’s color.

Paolo Cabrera, 40, from the Philippines, arrived early with his wife Cynthia to secure a spot near St Peter’s Basilica.

“It is very, very exciting to be here,” he said.

The couple expressed their support for Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle but emphasized their faith in divine guidance: “Anybody appointed by God,” they said, would be acceptable.

The cardinals are lodged in the Santa Marta guesthouse and attend private Mass each morning before beginning their voting sessions, which may include up to four rounds daily.

On Thursday, they held two votes in the morning and were expected to conduct two more in the afternoon, with additional ballots planned for Friday if necessary.

“The church has many divisions between liberals and conservatives, which are divisions that should not be, because I believe that the Church is universal,” said Juan Benitez, 37, a Colombian pilgrim reflecting on the challenges the new pope will face.

This year’s conclave is the most diverse and largest in history, drawing participants from nearly 70 countries. Roughly 80 percent of the electors were appointed by Pope Francis, suggesting his influence will loom large over the outcome.

Still, no clear frontrunner has emerged. Potential candidates include Italian Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Hungarian Cardinal Peter Erdo, and Sri Lankan Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith.

As anticipation builds, Catholics around the world continue to wait for the moment white smoke will rise, heralding the next spiritual leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics.

The eyes of the world turned once again to the Vatican yesterday as 133 cardinal electors were formally sealed inside the Sistine Chapel, beginning the sacred and highly secretive process of choosing a new pope.

This comes just over two weeks after the passing of Pope Francis, whose 12-year pontificate reshaped global Catholicism through progressive reforms and outspoken moral leadership.

The solemn ritual was marked at approximately 5:45 p.m. (1545 GMT) when Vatican master of ceremonies, Monsignor Diego Ravelli, intoned the Latin command “Extra Omnes”, “Everyone out”, ordering all non-electors to exit the chapel.

He then closed the large wooden doors, symbolizing the start of the conclave.

Earlier, the cardinals gathered in silent reflection at the Pauline Chapel before processing into the iconic 15th-century Sistine Chapel, where they took a collective oath of secrecy.

One by one, they approached the altar beneath Michelangelo’s towering Last Judgement fresco to make individual vows, swearing to maintain confidentiality on pain of excommunication.

This conclave is historic not only for its context but also for its diversity. Of the 135 eligible electors, 133 are participating, representing 71 countries across five continents, the largest and most international gathering in Church history.

Two cardinals, Antonio Cañizares of Spain and John Njue of Kenya, are absent due to illness, while Bosnian Cardinal Vinko Puljić will vote from his room at the Casa Santa Marta because of health issues.

Pope Francis appointed 108 of the electors, a significant factor likely to influence the ideological direction of the Church.

Twenty-two were appointed by Pope Benedict XVI, and five by Pope John Paul II.

With no clear frontrunner, speculation is intense. Among those viewed as leading candidates:

Fridolin Cardinal Ambongo Besungu (65), the outspoken Archbishop of Kinshasa, DR Congo, is seen as a powerful voice from Africa.

Pietro Cardinal Parolin (70), the current Vatican Secretary of State and seasoned diplomat from Italy.

Matteo Cardinal Zuppi (69), Archbishop of Bologna, noted for his work with peace and marginalized communities.

From Asia, Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle (67) and Pablo Virgilio Cardinal David (66) of the Philippines are seen as contenders with deep pastoral and missionary experience.

Other prominent names include Jean-Claude Cardinal Hollerich (66) of Luxembourg, Joseph Cardinal Tobin (72) of the U.S., Tarcisius Cardinal Isao Kikuchi (66) of Japan, and Cristóbal Cardinal López Romero (72), the Archbishop of Rabat.

As the cardinals deliberate, attention turns to the future direction of the Church.

Will the next pope build upon Francis’ legacy of reform, outreach to the margins, and commitment to social justice? Or will a new leader chart a more conservative path?

In an age marked by declining church attendance in the West, ongoing fallout from abuse scandals, and shifting geopolitical realities, the next pontiff will need to command both moral authority and global vision.

Many observers believe the future of Catholicism lies in the Global South, particularly in Asia and Africa, regions where the faith is vibrant and growing.

The world now waits for the appearance of white smoke from the Sistine Chapel chimney, signaling that a new pope has been chosen.