The Catholic Church Has Elected Cardinal Robert Prevost as Pope

Prevost, who will take the name Leo XIV, was elected as the first American pope in the 2,000-year history of the Catholic Church

Newly elected Pope Leo XIV appears at the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, Thursday, May 8, 2025.
Newly elected Pope Leo XIV appears at the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican, Thursday, May 8, 2025.
Andrew Medichini/AP
Share
Newly elected Pope Leo XIV appears at the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, Thursday, May 8, 2025.
Newly elected Pope Leo XIV appears at the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican, Thursday, May 8, 2025.
Andrew Medichini/AP
The Catholic Church Has Elected Cardinal Robert Prevost as Pope
Copy

Live video feed from the Associated Press.

Cardinal Robert Prevost, an American missionary who spent his career ministering in Peru and led the Vatican’s powerful office of bishops, was elected the first American pope in the 2,000-year history of the Catholic Church. Prevost, 69, took the name Leo XIV.

White smoke poured out of the Sistine Chapel chimney Thursday at 6:07 p.m. local time, signaling that a pontiff had been elected to lead the Catholic Church.

Read more updated news on the Associated Press.

Dr. Mariah Stump, a Brown University physician and lifestyle medicine expert, shares how the free community walking program builds fitness, connection, and joy across Rhode Island
The 2026 gubernatorial race is heating up. Revolution Wind is sputtering. Is it time to turn up the temperature?
The bipartisan QUAHOGS Act, introduced by Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse and Sen. Tim Scott, would create a task force to study why Rhode Island’s iconic shellfish and other East Coast bivalves are in steep decline
Eight states, including Massachusetts and Rhode Island, formed a partnership to share resources on vaccines, emergency preparedness and public health, amid federal uncertainty
The University of Rhode Island will relocate home games to the new 10,500-seat stadium while Meade Stadium undergoes an 18-month overhaul, aiming to boost the fan experience and expand its audience