Robert Francis Prevost has been selected as the new leader of the Catholic Church after the death of Pope Francis, he will be taking the name Pope Leo XIV. He makes history as the first-ever Pope from America.
Cardinal Dominique Mamberti announced the news on Thursday, May 8.
Pope Francis died on April 21 at his residence in the Vatican’s Casa Santa Marta. He was 88.
“Dear brothers and sisters, with deep sorrow I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis,” Cardinal Kevin Farrell said in a statement at the time. “At 7:35 this morning the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father. His whole life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and His Church. He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with fidelity, courage and universal love, especially in favor of the poorest and most marginalized.”
Farrell added, “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 the Triune God.”
Pope Francis’ death followed months of health issues that began with his hospitalization for bronchitis in February. He later developed double pneumonia. After 38 days in the hospital, he was released in March to continue his recovery at home.
Shortly after news of his death broke, the Vatican announced that Pope Francis died after suffering a cerebral stroke, followed by a coma and “irreversible cardiocirculatory collapse.”
After lying in state at St. Peter’s Basilica from April 23 to April 25, Pope Francis’ funeral took place in St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City on April 26. He was subsequently laid to rest at the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome.
One day before his death, Pope Francis made his final public appearance on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica in honor of the Easter holiday.
Pope Francis became the head of the Catholic Church in March 2013. A papal conclave elected him after Pope Benedict XVI’s resignation the month prior. During his tenure, he carved his own path as the first Latin American pope.
The process for choosing a new pope involves the church’s senior leaders under the age of 80 meeting in the Sistine Chapel in Rome for a secret conclave, which typically begins 10 to 15 days after the pope’s death. A new pope is named after a candidate wins a two-thirds majority of the vote. Following each round of voting, ballots are burned, with black smoke from the chimney indicating to the public that the votes were inconclusive and white smoke signaling that a new pope has been chosen.
