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.

If you’re planning to deck your house with lights this holiday season, you have a choice to make: stick with incandescent lightbulbs, or go for LEDs. This week on Possibly we break down what each option means for the planet, and your electric bill
The ‘Rhode Island Responsible’ campaign comes three years after the state legalized the drug
The East Greenwich native cites ‘regular guy’ cred in announcing his run
Researchers at URI launched the Rhode Island Bobcat Project to study the re-emergence of the big cats
The bill would have raised the minimum fine for child labor violations in Massachusetts from $500 to $20,000. Its sponsor, State Rep. Christopher Hendricks, said the legislation was inspired by a series from our reporting chronicling minors who worked in New Bedford’s seafood industry
Richard Miller has owned and operated Miller’s Family Farm in North Attleboro for the last 13 years. He’s expecting this holiday season to be a crowded one for his business