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Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost has been elected as the brand new pope to steer the world’s 1.4bn Catholics.
Prevost, the primary American to be pope, is seen as a compromise candidate who might discover broad assist in a divided Catholic church. He will probably be often called Pope Leo XIV.
“Peace be with all of you,” Pope Leo advised cheering crowds at St Peter’s Sq.. “I would like this salute of peace to enter your coronary heart, attain your households, and all individuals, wherever they’re, and all of the peoples, and the entire world.”
In a publish on Reality Social, US President Donald Trump stated: “Congratulations to Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost. It’s such an honor to understand that he’s the primary American Pope. What pleasure, and what a Nice Honor for our Nation. I sit up for assembly Pope Leo XIV. It will likely be a really significant second!”
Lower than an hour after white smoke had billowed over the Sistine Chapel on Thursday, Senior Cardinal Dominique Mamberti got here out on to the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica. “Habemus Papam,” he stated, confirming to the 1000’s gathered within the sq. under that the conclave had chosen a brand new pontiff.
Prevost, 69, spent a long time as a priest educating and serving in Peru, later administering troubled dioceses and changing into a member of the Peruvian bishops’ convention.
The Chicago native was near the late Pope Francis, who known as him to the Vatican in 2023, and requested him to steer the curia’s influential division for bishop appointments, an task that helped him develop networks among the many world Catholic management.
Analysts say the task possible helped Prevost muster the two-thirds majority required to be elected pope.
The American is seen as sharing lots of Francis’s concepts concerning the setting and immigration, beliefs that might doubtlessly deliver him into battle with the Trump administration over its hardline anti-migrant insurance policies.
Simply earlier than his final sickness, Francis wrote a strongly-worded letter to the US Catholic clergy, urging them to face up towards the demonisation of migrants.
At St Peter’s Sq., American Catholics — some waving American flags — appeared shocked and elated at Prevost’s shock elevation to the papal throne.
“We by no means had an American pope — they stated it could by no means occur in one million years,” stated John Sanchez, 27, the American-born son of Colombian immigrants. “It’s like successful the lottery.”
However Sanchez predicted that the pope might “conflict with Trump on sure issues, undoubtedly with migrants, however not on all issues. I hope he works with [the US] too. It’s essential to work with all of the individuals”.
Prevost takes the helm of a church wrestling with a pointy decline in attendance in its conventional European heartland, and profound questions of learn how to hold younger individuals and ladies engaged in a religion whose management is completely male.
“Each [Catholic] church in each continent has this drawback in several methods,” stated Massimo Faggioli, a theology professor at Villanova College in Pennsylvania.
The Holy See faces different challenges too, similar to rising concern about its precarious funds, and calls for for stronger measures to guard youngsters from sexual abuse by clergymen.
Extra reporting by Giuliana Ricozzi in Rome
