Following the conclusion of the conclave today, Cardinal Robert Prevost has been confirmed as the new pope.

It took less than two days of voting to today (8 May) confirm Prevost – whose papal name will be Pope Leo XIV – as the new head of the Catholic church, in what marks a historic moment as the 69-year-old becomes the first ever American to assume the position.

He takes over after the death of Pope Francis, who had served as the pope between 2013 and 2025, before losing his life last month following a long period spent in hospital.

The 88-year-old died on Easter Monday, and following a funeral which saw political and religious leaders from across the world attend, the cardinals in Vatican City gathered to submit their votes.

The new pope greeted his adoring supporters at St Peter’s Square (BBC)

When white smoke emerged from the Sistine Chapel’s chimney, it became clear that they had come to a quick decision, and around an hour after, Pope Leo emerged on the balcony of the chapel to greet the thousands of adoring supporters in attendance.

Protodeacon Dominique Mamberti confirmed the election by announcing ‘Habemus Papam’ – which translates to ‘We have a Pope’ before introducing Pope Francis’ successor by his papal name.

While Pope Leo, who was born in Chicago, is seen as something of a centrist, he has long embraced marginalised groups, much like his predecessor Pope Francis.

Following Francis’ death, the Vatican made an official statement, saying: “His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of his Church. He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with faithfulness, courage, and universal love, especially for the poorest and most marginalised.”

“With immense gratitude for his example as a true disciple of the Lord Jesus, we commend the soul of Pope Francis to the infinite, merciful love of God, One and Tribune.”

Cardinal Robert Prevost – Pope Leo XIIV (Franco Origlia/Getty Images)

The voting result may well come as a surprise to Robert Barron, the man who was appointed by Donald Trump as the new White House Commission on Religious Liberty.

He has shared his doubts about the potential of an American pope, saying: “Cardinal George of Chicago, of happy memory, was one of my great mentors, and he said: ‘Look, until America goes into political decline, there won’t be an American pope’.

“And his point was, if America is kind of running the world politically, culturally, economically, they don’t want America running the world religiously.

“So, I think there’s some truth to that, that we’re such a superpower and so dominant, they don’t wanna give us, also, control over the church.”

Cardinal Robert Prevost made history on 8 May when he was announced as the first ever American pope.

The 69-year-old, who was born in Chicago, was named as Pope Francis’ successor following a two-day conclave, with Pope Leo XIV introduced to the public shortly after the white smoke first emerged from the Sistine Chapel.

Pope Francis had passed away in late April following several months of poor health but after the traditional days of mourning and funeral service, the cardinals concluded the conclave fairly quickly, taking less than two days to make their final decision.

Prevost was seen by the media as something of a dark horse to take over, but has already received the congratulations of US president Donald Trump after making history by succeeding Pope Francis.

But what do we know about the new pope, and what can we expect from him as the new leader of the Catholic church?

How did Robert Prevost become the new pope?

Prevost was born in Chicago in 1955, to parents of Spanish, French and Italian descent. He made his solemn vows in 1981 and spent many of his younger years working as a missionary in Peru.

He then returned to the US and in 2001 he was appointed prior general of the Augustinian, serving two terms until 2013. A year later, he returned to Peru where the newly elected Pope Francis named him apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Chiclayo, before elevating him to Bishop of Chiclayo in 2015.

Pope Francis promoted him again to prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops in January 2023, a powerful position responsible for selecting bishops, which was a position he held until Pope Francis died on April 21, 2025. The former pope had also elevated him to the rank of Cardinal in 2023, so it is clear that the two men were close.

While it has been said that some Cardinals wanted to avoid appointing a pope from a superpower such as the US, his work in Peru, as well as his European roots, were clearly enough to win others over.

What can we expect from the new pope?

It seems as if Pope Leo’s visions align closely with that of his predecessor. He is reportedly very close to Francis’ vision regarding the environment, outreach to the poor and migrants, and meeting people where they are. He said last year ‘the bishop is not supposed to be a little prince sitting in his kingdom.’

Robert Prevost at Pope Francis’ funeral last month (Franco Origlia/Getty Images)

He also supported Pope Francis’ change in pastoral practice to allow divorced and civilly remarried Catholics to receive Holy Communion, but he seems less willing to embrace the LGBTQ community as we saw with the last pope, although he has shown some support for Fiducia Supplicans, which allows Catholic priests to bless couples who are not considered to be married according to church teaching, including same-sex couples.