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Robert Prevost, now known as Pope Leo XIV

2025-05-08 20:15:00, Kulturë Albert Vataj

American Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost has been elected the 267th Pope of the Catholic Church and is expected to appear soon on the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica as the new spiritual leader of over 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide.

Prevost, 69, a native of Chicago, Illinois, becomes the first pope in history to come from the United States. He will be known by the papal name Leo XIV.

A figure with extensive international experience, Pope Leo XIV spent most of his life among the people of Latin America, serving as a missionary in Peru for more than a decade.

He was then appointed bishop of the diocese of Chiclayo, where he served from 2014 to 2023. Most recently, he led the Dicastery for Bishops in the Vatican, one of the most influential offices in the Roman Curia, responsible for appointing bishops worldwide.

In an interview with Vatican News shortly after his appointment to this position, Prevost said: "I still consider myself a missionary. My calling, like that of every Christian, is to be a missionary, to proclaim the Gospel wherever you are."

In his first speech as Pope, Leo XIV addressed the crowd gathered in St. Peter's Square with the words: "Peace be with you all!"

He explained that this is the first greeting of the risen Christ, "the good shepherd who gave his life for his sheep," emphasizing the desire that this peace penetrate the hearts and families of people.

Further, he expressed his gratitude to the College of Cardinals who entrusted him with this high mission:

“I want to thank my brother cardinals who chose me to be the successor of Saint Peter, to walk together as a united Church, always in search of peace and justice. I am determined to work side by side with men and women who remain faithful to Jesus Christ, without fear, to proclaim the Gospel and to be missionaries of the Truth.”