Cardinal Robert Prevost has been elected the new pope, becoming the first pontiff born in North America.

The announcement was made Thursday, May 8, as Prevost appeared on the Vatican balcony and assumed the name Pope Leo XIV.

A senior cardinal announced his papal name to crowds gathered in St. Peter’s Square.

Pope Leo XIV now leads the Roman Catholic Church after years of service in various high-ranking roles within the Vatican and the global Church.

Since 2023, he served as Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops and President of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America.

Prior to that, he was Bishop of Chiclayo in Peru from 2015 to 2023, and from 2001 to 2013 he served as Prior General of the Order of Saint Augustine.

In 2015, Cardinal Prevost became a naturalized citizen of Peru, as confirmed by Peru’s National Civil Registry.

Born in Chicago, Prevost began his religious career working with the Augustinians.

He served in Peru from 1985 to 1986 and again from 1988 to 1998, holding roles as a parish pastor, diocesan official, seminary teacher, and administrator.

He was elevated to the College of Cardinals in 2023 and appointed Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops by Pope Francis the same year, an appointment that positioned him as a leading candidate for the papacy following Francis’s death.