Hear first American pope address the world
Hear first American pope address the world
11:16
• First American pope: Cardinal Robert Prevost has been elected as the first US-born pontiff and will be known as Pope Leo XIV. Leo made his first remarks as pope from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica in front of tens of thousands of onlookers, calling for peace and paying tribute to the late Pope Francis.
• About the new pope: Leo, a 69-year-old from Chicago, is a leader with global experience. He spent much of his career as a missionary in South America and holds dual citizenship in the US and Peru, where he served as a bishop. He most recently led a powerful Vatican office for bishop appointments. He is expected to build on Pope Francis’ reforms.
• Global reaction: The pope’s election prompted an outpouring of congratulations from world leaders, who expressed eagerness to work with the pontiff on global issues. US President Donald Trump called the historic selection a great honor for the country.
Our live coverage of Pope Leo XIV has moved here.
Cardinal Robert Prevost was elected as the first US-born pontiff Thursday and will be known as Pope Leo XIV.
The 69-year-old from Chicago stepped into his role as the 267th pope on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica on Thursday evening, addressing thousands of cheering Catholics with the words: “Peace be with you all.”
Here’s a look at Pope Leo before his papacy:
Father Mark Francis — a friend who attended the same seminary as Pope Leo XIV in the 1970s — said the pontiff’s roots in the Midwest played a large role in shaping him as a religious leader.
Francis, who’s now Provincial of the Viatorians in the US, describes Pope Leo as serious, focused, and dependable, with a good sense of humor.
“He’s not a showboat kind of person,” he said.
“Bob,” as Francis has called him for the past several decades, never mentioned wanting to become pope, he said, or any of the leadership positions he went on to assume. “He is a calm person who is not a careerist, is not just seeking a promotion – but someone who’s there to serve.”
Francis, who grew up in the Chicago area as well, characterized the Chicago church as “forward-looking,” with a strong desire for women to be more involved in the church. “I think that is a hallmark of my ministry, and I also believe of Pope Leo’s ministry as well: a respect for women and a respect for their voice.”
Rev. John Lydon and the new pope were undergrads together at Villanova then crossed paths again in Peru.
Lydon noted the pope’s internationalism: “There’s a way of thinking that’s not the same way of thinking in other parts of the world, so that’s one thing I caution Americans to think: He’s not an American pope, he’s a pope who happened to be born in the United States.”
Peggy Wurtz, who grew up in Dolton, Illinois, and went to Catholic school with Pope Leo, said his family was always pious. “He was super smart and super quiet. There isn’t a bad thing you can say about him. He is pure, pure, this guy was destined to be pope,” she said in a phone interview.
John Prevost said he thinks his brother, Pope Leo XIV, “will be a second Pope Francis.”
“I think he’ll follow right in his footsteps working for the underprivileged,” Prevost told CNN affiliate WBBM.
He said his brother will make a good pope because Pope Leo has “a deep feeling for the disenfranchised, for the poor, for those who were not listened to.”
“I think the very fact that in his heart, in his very soul, he wanted to be a missionary. He didn’t want the bishop. He didn’t want the cardinal, but that’s what he’s asked to do so that’s what he did,” Prevost said.
He said that he thinks his brother will be very active around the world and will “speak his mind.”
Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost – now known as Pope Leo XIV — is the first pope from the United States.
The 69-year-old from Chicago is known as a leader with global experience. He spent much of his career as a missionary in South America and most recently led a powerful Vatican office for bishop appointments.
His election represents continuity with the papacy of the late Pope Francis, and he is expected to continue Francis’ reforms of the church as well as his focus on poverty and marginalized people.
Here’s what else you should know about the new American pontiff:
Learn more about the new pope here.
@cnnCardinal Robert Prevost, of the United States, has been elected as the 267th pope of the Catholic Church and the first American pontiff in history. He will be known as Leo XIV. In his speech, which he delivered in front of a roaring crowd, he called for the Church to “build bridges” and also paid tribute to the late Pope Francis.
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Robert Prevost said in 2023 that “clericalizing women” would not solve issues in the church, according to the Catholic News Agency.
“Something that needs to be said also is that ordaining women — and there’s been some women that have said this, interestingly enough — ‘clericalizing women’ doesn’t necessarily solve a problem, it might make a new problem,” Prevost told journalists at a news conference in October of that year, according to the outlet.
Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, did acknowledge that women are taking on new roles of leadership at the Vatican and elsewhere in the church, according to the Catholic News Agency.
But, he said, “It isn’t as simple as saying that, ‘You know, at this stage we’re going to change the tradition of the Church after 2,000 years on any one of those points.’”
“Perhaps we need to look at a new understanding or different understanding of both leadership, power, authority, and service — above all service — in the Church from the different perspectives that can be, if you will, brought to the life of the Church by women and men,” he said, according to the news agency.
Prevost’s comments came during a meeting of Catholic bishops, known as a synod, in which Pope Francis had allowed women to participate and vote for the first time.
Hear former President Biden react to first American pope election
Hear former President Biden react to first American pope election
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Former President Joe Biden said today that he’s pleased to see Pope Leo XIV making history as the first American pope.
“It doesn’t surprise me but pleases me a great deal,” Biden said after being asked by CNN’s Dana Bash whether he — only the second Catholic president — would ever see the first American pope.
Citing the new pontiff’s friendship with the late Pope Francis, Biden said he believes Pope Leo XIV is “going to keep moving the church in the direction (of) being more ecumenical in reaching out.”
CNN’s Kaanita Iyer contributed to this report.
Pope Leo XIV is likely to continue the legacy of his predecessor in advocating for environmental preservation and service of the world’s poor and suffering populations, a close friend tells CNN.
“Leo XIV will continue to encourage all of us to be aware of and to do what we can to make this a better world for everybody, which means caring for the things that we have and have been given to us and for us — been given to us to share,” Rev. Art Purcaro, assistant vice president of mission and ministry at Villanova University, said.
Purcaro and Robert Prevost, who is now the pope, first served together in an Augustinian mission in northern Peru, serving a community of poor subsistence farmers. The pair have worked together between Rome and Peru for more than two decades.
They spoke before Prevost entered the conclave. Prevost told Purcaro he had heard his name being discussed as a potential papal candidate but “wasn’t looking for anything,” telling Purcaro he would accept “whatever God wants.”
“He’s deeply spiritual and very solidly based in his faith, not an ambitious person. He’s reserved,” Purcaro said.
The priest believes Pope Leo will live humbly as Pope Francis did, shirking the pomp and grandeur that sometimes accompany the position.
“When we look at him dressed as he is now, we might think (of) clergy, hierarchy, distance, privilege, which I don’t see as part of his nature at all,” Purcaro said. “It would be natural for Pope Leo, as (he did as) Bob Prevost, to live humbly, simply, genuinely, authentically.”
From young seminarians in robes to college students in shorts and T-shirts, the gathering in front of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, DC, was energetic and joyful Thursday, with the election of American Robert Prevost as Pope Leo XIV.
A Catholic University freshman had poignant words, when asked what kind of Pope he wanted Leo XIV to be.
“We definitely need a reformer,” he said. “We really need unity and peace right now in the church … I think it’s great that he’s from America because we need a world figure like that from America to spread the true meaning of Christ’s gospel around the world.”
The young crowd was gathered at the foot of the largest Catholic church in the US, which the Basilica says is visited by about 1 million people a year. The facility draped yellow and white “papal bunting” on each entrance and a huge American flag on the bell tower after word came of Leo XIV’s election.
CNN spoke to a student at Catholic University who just converted to Catholicism around Easter.
Austin Morse, from Ellicott City, Maryland, was forthcoming on what he’d like Pope Leo to achieve, calling for him to eschew church politics.
“I want kindness,” Morse said. “I feel like a lot of people want a pope in their corner. They want a pope that’s more conservative. Or they want a pope that’s more progressive. I don’t really care politically what corner the pope is in. I care that the pope is in Christ’s corner.”
Correction: A previous version of this post incorrectly spelled Austin Morse’s name.
Congratulatory messages continue to pour in for the newly-elected Pope Leo XIV, even as his stance on the conflicts in the Middle East remain unclear.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog expressed his excitement for “enhancing the relationship between Israel and the Holy See” and wishing Leo a pontificate “of building bridges and understanding between all faiths and peoples.”
The Palestinian Authority acknowledged the relationship President Mahmoud Abbas had with the late Pope Francis in a statement that said in part: “[Abbas] expressed his warmest congratulations and best wishes to Pope Leo XIV for success in fulfilling his noble duties, and for going down the path of the late Pope Francis in his efforts to achieve peace, affirming his pride in the historic friendship between the State of Palestine and the Holy See.” This comes after the Palestinian Authority sent an official delegation to attend the funeral of Pope Francis.
The militant group Hamas extended its “warmest congratulations” to the new Pontiff and expressed hope for his pontificate to continue on a path similar to his predecessor’s with regards to expressing solidarity with Palestinian civilians.
Philippe Lazzarini, the commissioner general of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), said the organization is looking forward to pursuing “our dialogue & partnership with the Holy See in promoting the rights of #Palestine Refugees & support our work to assist all those impacted by the war in #Gaza,” according to a post on X.
Leo’s stances on the highly-contentious Arab-Israeli and Israeli-Palestinian conflicts remain unclear. It’s also unclear whether he will be explicitly calling for a ceasefire of the current Israel-Hamas war, like his predecessor Francis, whose dying wishes included a conversion of a “popemobile” he used in Jerusalem to a mobile clinic to be dispatched to the Gaza strip.
CNN’s Ibrahim Dahman and Eugenia Yosef contributed.
A social media account under the name of Robert Prevost in February posted an article critical of Vice President JD Vance’s interpretation of Christian doctrine, calling it “wrong.”
In a February 3 post, the X account shared an article by the National Catholic Reporter entitled “JD Vance is wrong: Jesus doesn’t ask us to rank our love for others.”
CNN has reached out to the Vatican, X and friends of Prevost, but has not been able to independently confirm the account is connected to the newly elected Pope Leo XIV.
The account was started in August 2011 and has posts on a wide range of topics, including immigration, on which Pope Francis had been sharply critical of the Trump administration.
At one point Thursday, the account had fewer than 800 followers. As of 5 p.m. ET, it had grown to more than 232,000 followers, according to CNN’s analysis of the account.
Read more on the X account here.
One in five American adults identify as Catholic, a number that has been stable since about 2014, according to the Pew Research Center.
In Chicago, the new pope’s hometown, the number of adults identifying as Catholic is even higher, where nearly one in three people in the broader metropolitan area identify as Catholic.
Vice President JD Vance, a convert to Catholicism, congratulated Leo on X, saying: “I’m sure millions of American Catholics and other Christians will pray for his successful work leading the Church. May God bless him!”
Peru’s national soccer team La Bicolor shared a picture on social media recognizing the new Pope Leo XIV.
“New leader in hope and he is Peruvian at heart,” the team wrote in the caption of an Instagram post showing a jersey with the name “León” and the number 14 written on its back.
The new pope spent much of his career as a missionary in South America and served as a bishop in Peru, where he also holds citizenship.
llinois voting records show that Pope Leo XIV is registered to vote in the Chicago suburb of New Lenox, and has regularly cast ballots there.
He voted in the general election in 2024, 2018, 2014 and 2012, according to records provided to CNN by the Will County Clerk’s Office. Illinois voters do not have to register to vote as a member of a political party, but can choose which party’s ballot to vote on during primary elections.
Prevost voted in the Republican primary in 2016, 2014 and 2012, the records show.
Students, staff and faculty at Divine Word College Seminary in Epworth, Iowa, cheered during their lunch break as the new Pope was announced.
“What started as a regular lunch at Divine Word College turned into a moment we’ll never forget! Students, staff, and faculty gathered for an impromptu watch party as the world witnessed the announcement of our new Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV,” the school shared in a video on its Facebook page.
“We give thanks for this historic moment in the life of the Church and offer our prayers and blessings upon Pope Leo XIV. May the Holy Spirit guide him with wisdom, courage, and compassion as he leads us forward in faith,” the school’s post read.
People cheer for announcement of new Pope
People cheer for announcement of new Pope
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Video credit: Divine Word College Seminary - Epworth, Iowa
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson — of Pope Leo XIV’s hometown — celebrated the new pontiff, calling his election “one of the biggest moments in the modern history of our city,” according to a statement.
“Pope Leo XIV will be a champion for workers all over the world. It’s only right that he was born and educated in the most pro-worker city in America,” Johnson said.
He applauded Leo’s “strong tradition of standing up for the poor and the vulnerable” and said it is a “tremendous moment for our Catholic community and for all Chicagoans.”
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker also called the first American pope a “historic moment.”
“Hailing from Chicago, Pope Leo XIV ushers in a new chapter that I join those in our state welcoming in at a time when we need compassion, unity, and peace,” Pritzker said in a post on X.
Messages of congratulations for Pope Leo XIV continue to pour in from leaders around the world.
Here’s what some of them are saying:
Villanova University celebrated the election of its alumnus, Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, who is now the 267th head of the Catholic Church and first American pope and Augustinian friar to be elected pontiff.
“With today’s election of His Holiness, Pope Leo XIV, I cannot help but reflect on what his Augustinian papacy will mean to our University community and our world,” the university said in a statement. “Known for his humility, gentle spirit, prudence and warmth, Pope Leo XIV’s leadership offers an opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to our educational mission.”
Leo graduated from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) at Villanova University in 1977, according to the school. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics in 1977 from Villanova, one of two Augustinian Catholic institutions of higher learning in the US, before earning a Master of Divinity degree from Catholic Theological Union in Chicago in 1982.
Former US presidents are congratulating Pope Leo XIV — the first pontiff in history who was born in the United States.
Robert Prevost, as he was known before today, is from Chicago. He earned his bachelor’s in mathematics from Villanova University in Pennsylvania and went on receive his diploma in theology from the Catholic Theological Union of Chicago. He then spent many years serving in Peru.
Here is some of the reaction from former US presidents:
This post has been updated with comments from Clinton.
Peru President Dina Boluarte called Pope Leo XIV’s selection to lead the Catholic Church a “historic moment for Peru and the world,” in an address today.
Leo, spent much of his career as a missionary in South America. He worked for a decade in Trujillo and was later appointed bishop of Chiclayo, another Peruvian city, where he served from 2014 to 2023.
He became a citizen in 2015, the president said.
“In our lands, he sowed hope, walked alongside the most needy, and shared the joys of our people. His choice for Peru was not merely formal, but profoundly spiritual and human. He chose to be one of us, to live among us, and to carry in his heart the faith, culture, and dreams of this nation,” Boluarte said, according to a translation to English.
She asked people in Peru to pray for the new pope and said his election “is a call to renew our faith, to work for justice, and to strengthen unity in Peru and beyond.”
US Catholic senators from both sides of the aisle were jubilant over the election of the first American pope on Thursday, with one senator even admitting that he swore when he first heard the news.
“Unfortunately, I swore — in a good way — that ‘this is beeping good,’” said Sen. Ruben Gallego, self-censoring himself in retrospect. “It’s kind of weird, obviously with talking about a holy person, to swear. I’ll ask for forgiveness later.”
“This is the first time that we’ve ever had an American pope, this is the second one from the Western hemisphere. I think it may help the church, I think, move more into the modern era and I think help it survive. I mean, it is going through tough times,” the Arizona Democrat added.
Sen. Mark Kelly also expressed satisfaction with the news.
“I was a little surprised. I knew there was an American in the mix, but that has happened before and we have been let down, so I was pretty happy to see this. My staff and I were in the office around the TV to see the announcement,” the Democrat told reporters.
GOP Sen. John Hoeven appeared ecstatic at the news.
“Unbelievable! I’m so excited. I’ve been telling folks they’ll never pick an American cardinal to be the pope. … I can’t believe it,” he said. “I think American Catholics are just going to be thrilled.”
Democratic Sen. Ed Markey also weighed in. “We’re proud that the pope is from the United States, and our hope is that the new pope will continue the legacy of Pope Francis.”
Robert Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, is a member of the Augustinian religious order. He led the order for more than a decade as their prior general, which has given him leadership experience of leading an order spread across the world.
The new pontiff used his first remarks to say he his a son of St. Augustine, and he quoted the saint’s famous phrase: “For you, I am a bishop, with you, after all, I am a Christian.”
That reflects the idea that all the people in the church hierarchy – from leaders to everyday members – walk together.
He talked about having a unified church, a nod to Pope Francis’ focus on synodality and improving communication between different levels of the church and listening more to different groups within it.
He also used his first address to emphasize the important of peace and say that “evil will not prevail.”
Finally, he emphasized that God loves everyone unconditionally.
US Vice President JD Vance has congratulated Leo XIV on becoming the first American pope.
“I’m sure millions of American Catholics and other Christians will pray for his successful work leading the Church,” said Vance, who converted to Catholicism in 2019.
Vance met with the late Pope Francis at the Vatican on Easter Sunday, a day before the pontiff’s death.
Conventional conclave wisdom said that cardinals would likely shy away from choosing a pope from the United States due to its outsized global influence.
This conclave just bucked that trend. Here’s a quick look at where the Catholic Church typically finds its popes:
Father Art Purcaro said he was “perhaps more stunned than the world” and pleased with the election of Pope Leo XIV to lead the Catholic Church.
Purcaro, who said he has been friends with the pope for decades and was with him just last week in Rome, described him as a “man of God.” He added, “What I’ve just heard him say is how he has lived.”
Purcaro praised the pope’s first remarks. “You heard the Catholic social thought, those principles on which our faith is founded in what now Leo XIV has declared to us in his opening statement to the world.”
Purcaro said these principles include “dignity, solidarity, subsidiarity, common good” and being a “bridge builder.”
“As a true Augustinian, Pope Leo XIV has asked for the prayers. But he’s also committed himself to being of the people of God and for the people of God, for a better world for all,” he added.
Asked if he and the pope have ever discussed him possibly being elected, Purcaro said that he has known Leo XIV decades and “I don’t think that that person ever suspected that God would ask him to do this.”
Pope Leo XIV is a member of the Augustinian religious order – and his friend and former housemate in Peru noted that the new pontiff cited St. Augustine in his first public remarks today.
“He cited St. Augustine, One of St. Augustine’s famous words. When St. Augustine was named a bishop, he says ‘With you I am a Christian. For you I am a bishop,’” said Rev. John Lydon, a Franciscan friar who worked with the new pope in Trujillo, Peru.
“St. Augustine was saying the most important thing is we’re together as Christians. So when Pope Leo used that citation of St. Augustine, I think he was trying to say the same thing. You know, I’m for you, I’m the pope, but with you, we’re all Christians together, we’re all going toward the Lord together,” Lyndon told CNN.
He added that is also means “we need to dialogue. And he mentioned the synodal church, which actually, that’s what it means, a church of dialogue, of walking together, of diversity. But walking toward the common goal of peace and love, which is the message of the gospels.”
In one of his first public acts as pope, Leo XIV will lead the Angelus on Sunday — a Catholic devotion commemorating Christ’s Incarnation. This prayer is typically said at morning, midday and sunset.
Before becoming Pope Leo XIV, Robert Prevost most recently led the powerful Vatican office for bishop appointments.
The late Pope Francis “respected him and thought of him very highly,” according to CNN’s Vatican correspondent Christopher Lamb.
Francis is the person who appointed Prevost to be the prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, which is in charge of assessing candidates and making recommendations for new bishop appointments.
“Clearly Pope Francis saw in him something — he saw him as a capable leader,” Lamb noted.
His role in the Vatican’s bishop’s office would have also given him a lot of insight into the global church and opportunities to meet with church leaders all over the world.
“In some ways, he’s a slightly unknown quantity. He’s not been scrutinized in the way that other very high-profile church leaders might have been,” Lamb added. But of course, to get that two-third majority vote from the College of Cardinals, “he’s going to have needed to have appealed to a cross-section of people.”
When Pope Francis stepped onto the balcony of St. Peter’s Square in 2013, he did so in a simple white robe, doing away with much of the pomp that shrouds the papacy.
But when Pope Leo XIV revealed himself to the world, he was wearing the traditional papal robes.
In reverting to norms, perhaps Pope Leo XIV wanted to show he isn’t trying to clone Francis’ papacy. In his speech, however, he praised Francis’ legacy — and seems set to follow in the Franciscan path.
Another similarity between the two popes could be where Leo chooses to live during his papacy. Francis decided not to live in the splendour of the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace, opting instead for the humbler Santa Marta guesthouse.
Perhaps Leo will do the same; we’ll have to wait and see.
World leaders are reacting to Pope Leo XIV becoming the new head of the Catholic Church today.
Many of them expressed eagerness to work with Leo on global issues. He is expected to build on Pope Francis’ reforms.
Prevost, 69, from Chicago, Illinois, is the first ever pope from the United States. He spent much of his career as a missionary in South America.
Here’s what some world leaders are saying:
Leo is now tied for the fourth most common name chosen by popes, along with Clement. Only John, Gregory and Benedict have proven more popular.
But we haven’t had a Pope Leo in more than a century.
The last Pope Leo was Leo XIII, who was born in French-occupied Rome in 1810. He served as pope from 1878 until his death in 1903, making his 25-year papacy the fourth longest in the church’s history.
Leo XIII is remembered as a pope of Catholic social teaching. He wrote a famous open letter in 1891, reflecting on the technological changes wrought by the Industrial Revolution and its impact on workers.
In choosing to revive the name, Leo XIV may be signaling the priorities for his papacy.
The first Pope Leo, who served in the fifth century, is known as “Leo the Great,” and is remembered for persuading Attila the Hun to halt his invasion and spare the Roman Empire from destruction.
Their meeting was captured in a painting by Raphael, which is now displayed in the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace, which the 133 voting cardinals — including Robert Prevost, now Leo XIV — passed through as they proceeded into the Sistine Chapel on Wednesday for the start of the conclave.
The name Leo derives from the Latin for “lion,” suggesting strength and courage.
In his address from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, Leo XIV said the church can still hear “the weak but always courageous voice of Pope Francis,” his predecessor.
Christopher Lamb, CNN’s Vatican correspondent, said when he met the new Pope Leo XIV when he was a cardinal, he came across “a very thoughtful person, a very measured person.”
“I thought today he seemed, you know, overjoyed in some ways and sort of had received the grace of the office,” Lamb said, shortly after the pope made his first remarks on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica today.
Lamb said Leo appeared to give careful thought to what he would say and what his first message to the world would be. This differs from Pope Francis, who would “speak off the cuff more,” he said.
“He’s more of someone who wants to prepare before he speaks, but what he says has a very strong impact,” Lamb said.
Robert Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, was born in Chicago, Illinois, in 1955.
Prevost earned his bachelor’s in mathematics from Villanova University in Pennsylvania and went on to receive his diploma in theology from the Catholic Theological Union of Chicago.
He was later sent to Rome to study canon law at the Pontifical Saint Thomas Aquinas University and was ordained as a priest in June 1982. Later in his career, he taught canon law in the seminary in Trujillo, Peru.
While it is often said cardinal electors would always shy away from choosing a pope from the US due to America’s outsized global political influence, Prevost’s long experience in Peru may have mitigated those fears among the electors.
“He’s somebody that, even though he’s from the West, would be very attentive to the needs of a global church,” said Elise Allen, CNN’s Vatican analyst. “You’re talking about somebody who spent over half of his ecclesial career abroad as a missionary in Peru.”
Allen added that he is seen as an apt leader in Vatican circles because “he’s able to accomplish things without necessarily being authoritarian about the way he did things.”
“Prevost is somebody who is seen as an exceptional leader. From very young, he was appointed to leadership roles,” Allen said. “He’s seen as somebody who is calm and balanced, who is even-handed, and who is very clear on what he thinks needs to be done… but he’s not overly forceful in trying to make that happen.”
President Donald Trump celebrated the news that the college of cardinals elected its first American pope, Cardinal Robert Prevost of Chicago, calling the news “a Great Honor for our Country.”
“Congratulations to Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, who was just named Pope,” Trump wrote. “It is such an honor to realize that he is the first American Pope. What excitement, and what a Great Honor for our Country. I look forward to meeting Pope Leo XIV. It will be a very meaningful moment!”
Pope Leo XIV outlined his vision for the Catholic Church as one that “builds bridges” and engages in conversation.
“We have to seek together to be a missionary church. A church that builds bridges and dialogue,” he said in his remarks on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica today.
The new pope also called on people to “show our charity” to others “and be in dialogue with love,” according to an English translation.
Having spoken in Italian so far, Leo XIV just switched to Spanish — one of several European languages he speaks — to address his “beloved diocese” in Peru.
Cardinal Robert Prevost, as he was known until this past hour, worked for a decade in Trujillo, Peru, and served as bishop of Chiclayo, another Peruvian city, from 2014 to 2023.
“To my dearest beloved diocese in Peru, where a faithful people accompanied their bishop to share their faith with him, and who have done so much to be a faithful church,” he said.
Leo XIV called on the Catholic church to be a “synodal” church, “one which goes forward and which always seeks peace and to be close to those who suffer.”
During his remarks in Pope Leo XIV thanked his fellow cardinals for choosing him to lead the Catholic Church.
“I should also like to thank all my cardinal brethren who have chosen me to be the successor of Peter and to walk with you as a united church. Always seeking peace and justice. Seeking to work with men and women who are faithful to Jesus Christ without fear to proclaim the gospel to be missionaries,” he said.
Addressing the crowd in St Peter’s Square, Pope Leo XIV paid tribute to the late Pope Francis, urging the crowd to remember his predecessor’s legacy.
“Let us keep in our ears the weak voice of Pope Francis that blesses Rome. The Pope who blessed Rome, gave his blessing to the entire world that morning of Easter. Allow me to follow up on that blessing. God loves us. God loves everyone. Evil will not prevail,” he said in Italian while addressing the crowd gathered at the Vatican.
In his first words as pope, Leo XIV said to the crowd in St. Peter’s Square: “Peace be with you all.”
“This is the first greetings of the resurrected Christ, the good shepherd who has given up his life for God,” he said, explaining the choice of his greeting. “And I should also like this greeting of peace to enter our hearts and our families.”
Leo XIV looked visibly emotional as he waved to the adoring crowd in the square below the balcony.
Robert Prevost, now known as Pope Leo XIV, has just stepped onto the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica. He will soon speak.
Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost of the United States has been elected the 267th pope and will soon step onto the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica as the new leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics.
Prevost, 69, from Chicago, Illinois, is the first ever pope from the United States. He will be known as Leo XIV.
A leader with global experience, he spent much of his career as a missionary in South America and most recently led a powerful Vatican office for bishop appointments. He is expected to build on Pope Francis’ reforms.
He worked for a decade in Trujillo, Peru, and was later appointed bishop of Chiclayo, another Peruvian city, where he served from 2014 to 2023. Prevost also holds a Peruvian passport and has been a Peruvian citizen since 2015.
In an interview with Vatican News shortly after he became the leader of the Dicastery for Bishops, Prevost said: “I still consider myself a missionary. My vocation, like that of every Christian, is to be a missionary, to proclaim the Gospel wherever one is.”
The new pope is revealed as Robert Prevost of the US, the first American pontiff in history. He will be known as Leo XIV.
There’s tens of thousands of people packed into St. Peter’s Square right now — and dozens of flags representing countries across the world.
We’ve seen Italian, Argentinian, Ecuadorian, Peruvian, Brazilian, Filipino and Polish flags, among many, many more.
All eyes are on the main balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica.
Francesca, a lawyer from Rome, told CNN that came to St. Peter’s Square today “Because it’s an epic moment.”
“It’s great this feeling to be here with a lot of people, religious and not. All the world is watching at the balcony, and we feel at the center of the world,” she said.
Asked if she has favorite cardinal in mind to lead the church, she said she does not. “It’s in God’s hand,” she added, and she said that no matter who is chosen, “we would be happy in any case.”
Francesca added that since the world and the church is divided in this moment, she hopes for someone who has the quality of reconciliation and diplomacy.
As soon as the news of the white smoke spread through the Italian capital, some people began running through the streets of Rome to get to St. Peter’s Square. People continue to stream into the square from every alley that leads to the Vatican.
In the square itself, people are hugging and crying tears of joy.
While earlier the crowd was angling to get a good view of the Sistine Chapel chimney, they are now inching closer to the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica where the new pope is expected to emerge any moment.
The 267th leader of the Catholic Church will soon step onto the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica and make himself known to the world.
First impressions count. When Pope Francis stepped onto the balcony in 2013, he did so dressed in simple white robes, shunning much of the papal pomp of his predecessors.
He chose “Francis” as his papal name in honor of Francis of Assisi, the Italian saint who renounced his family wealth and championed the poor.
Francis also addressed the crowd with the simple Italian greeting, “Buona sera,” meaning “good evening.”
Among the cheers from the thousands in St. Peter’s Square who are celebrating the election of a new pope, the Swiss Guard and band are marching, adding to the vibrant and joyful atmosphere.
We’re seeing the Swiss Guard wearing their “distinctive, stripy colored uniform and the band that come out for major moments in the Vatican, and we expect them to play the Vatican national anthem in and around when the pope is announced, the new pope is announced,” CNN’s Vatican correspondent Christopher Lamb said.
He added that the band and Swiss Guard’s presence might mean “that it’s not too long until we get the news of who has been elected as pope.”
United States President Donald Trump took the stage at a White House event today shortly after white smoke out started streaming out of the Vatican chimney, a sign that the college of cardinals has selected a new pope.
“I saw the smoke, but I haven’t seen the pope,” Trump told reporters in the White House East Room.
Trump drew criticism after the White House account tweeted an AI-generated image of him dressed as a pope ahead of the papal conclave this week.
Now that the white smoke signal has gone out, we are waiting for the new pope to appear on the balcony overlooking St. Peter’s Square.
Traditionally, that happens about 30 to 60 minutes after the signal.
His papal name will be announced, and the new pope will then speak briefly and say a prayer.
His formal coronation will take place days after his election. The last two popes have been inaugurated in St. Peter’s Square.
The mood here is electric. People are rejoicing.
“We have a pope — yay!” Connie, from South Carolina, just said to CNN. “I’m so happy. It feels like the Holy Spirit is here.”
Connie said she hopes the next pontiff treads a similar path as Pope Francis by “helping the poor, fixing the world, helping the immigrants.”
It’s not clear if the new pope was chosen on the fourth or fifth ballot of the conclave, but either way, the results came relatively quickly on the second day of the conclave.
“The first vote sets out where support lies, and then it very quickly becomes a two-horse race, because cardinals shift their support to leading candidates,” CNN Vatican correspondent Christopher Lamb said. “You do get a result swiftly when it comes to a secret ballot.”
The cardinal electors vote with folded ballots, which are shaken in an urn to mix them up and maintain secrecy.
And who the new pontiff is remains a secret for a little while longer — the new pope will be announced to everyone at the same time on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica.
The past two popes, Benedict XVI and Francis, were also appointed on the second day of voting. Before them, John Paul II was appointed on the third day.
The white smoke rising from the Sistine Chapel means that each of the last three popes were elected in the afternoon of the second day of the conclave.
Pope Benedict XVI was elected after four rounds of voting; Francis was elected after five.
We still don’t know if the pope who was just chosen was elected at the fourth or fifth time of asking.
We just heard a huge cheer of relief and joy as we saw the white plume of smoke rising from the Sistine Chapel.
After watching the chapel’s chimney for much of the past two days, all eyes will now turn to the main balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, where the new pope will soon make himself known to the world.
We still can’t see inside the Sistine Chapel, but previous conclaves have taught us that the new pope will now be putting on the special papal garbs and taking a moment in a private room to compose himself before he is introduced to the world.
A cardinal will soon proclaim “Habemus papam,” a Latin phrase meaning, “We have a Pope.”
In this short speech from the main balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, we’ll learn the identity of the cardinal who has been elected — and the papal name they have chosen.
The bells of St. Peter’s Basilica are ringing to welcome the news that a new pope has been elected.
The crowd in the Vatican’s main square burst into applause when the white smoke began to pour out of the Sistine Chapel’s chimney.
White smoke has risen above the Sistine Chapel, the signal that cardinals have chosen a new pope on the second day of the conclave.
His identity, and the name he will take as pontiff, will be revealed soon.
Watch the moment:
See the moment white smoke emerged from the Sistine Chapel
See the moment white smoke emerged from the Sistine Chapel
01:47
Once a candidate receives more than two-thirds of the vote, he will be asked two questions by the highest-ranking cardinal in the conclave.
First, “Do you accept your canonical election as Supreme Pontiff?”
Then, “By what name do you wish to be called?”
A pope’s choice of name can hint at the direction their papacy may take. The late Pope Francis chose his name in honor of Francis of Assisi, the Italian saint who renounced his family wealth and championed the poor. He was the first pope to choose Francis as his name.
Pope Benedict XVI, Francis’ predecessor, said he chose his name – which means “the blessed” in Latin – after Benedict XV, whom he said helped steer the church through World War I.
So, what name might the new pope choose? Take a look at our explainer.
A group of Dominican nuns from the US are among those awaiting the announcement of a new pope in Rome, where they told CNN they feel an atmosphere of unity driven by faith.
“There’s unity in Christ and that’s, you know, I think, yeah, here in Rome where the pope is the symbol of unity, of Christ on Earth, you feel that and sense that in a real way,” Sister Anne Catherine, of the Nashville Dominicans, told CNN.
“More people are talking about their faith,” Sister Mary, also of the Nashville Dominicans, added.
Watch more from CNN’s interview with the nuns:
@cnnCNN's David Culver spoke with a group of American nuns about the papal conclave and what they're hoping for in the next pope.
♬ original sound - CNN
CNN’s Maureen Chowdhury contributed to this post.
Thousands of people are filing into the main square at the Vatican, as they look up at the chimney of the Sistine Chapel once again to learn whether the cardinals have elected a successor to Pope Francis.
The sense of anticipation here is building. Vatican Media says about 15,000 people are now in St. Peter’s Square.
It was in the afternoon session on the second day that Francis was elected in 2013.
“I’m here to see the smoke. It’s a great moment,” said Sergio Alfieri, a resident of Rome. “I hope it will be an Italian pope, (Cardinal Pietro) Parolin or (Cardinal Pierbattista) Pizzaballa. They are both very competent. I hope it will be someone that will continue Francis’ work.”
All sorts of things will be weighing on the minds of the 133 cardinals choosing the next pope.
Do they want the church to follow Pope Francis’ priorities, or do they favor a more conservative pontiff? Do they want a pope from an underrepresented part of the world, or are they content to shop among the Europeans — as has happened for most of the church’s history?
But age is also likely to be a key factor in the decision making process.
The 10 most recent popes were elected at an average age of 67. The last two popes, Benedict XVI and Francis, were relatively old by the standards of the 20th century, beginning their papacies in their 70s.
Benedict served for just under eight years, before stepping down aged 85, citing his poor health. He was the first pope to resign since Pope Gregory XII in 1415.
Before him, John Paul II became pope at the sprightly age of 58 and served for more than a quarter of a century until his death at the age of 84.
Vatican analysts have said the cardinals might choose to opt between these two extremes, and try to find a pope old enough that they won’t serve for decades, and young enough that they can lead the world’s Catholics with vigor.
While the world waits for a new pope, experts are well aware the choice could have far-reaching political ramifications.
“Choosing a certain pope from a certain area of the world sends a certain kind of message,” Massimo Faggioli, a professor of theology and religious studies at Villanova University, told CNN’s “Conclave Watch” podcast.
Faggioli will also be watching how the new pope views the United States’ Trump administration following a letter Pope Francis sent to US bishops in February that appeared to rebuke President Donald Trump’s plans for mass deportations.
“The Vatican… is worried of the manipulation of the church that happens in some countries that try to submit the church to political power,” Faggioli said.
Listen to CNN’s “Conclave Watch” podcast here.
We can’t see what’s going on in the chapel, but the voting procedure follows a centuries-old tradition.
Nine cardinals would have been chosen at random to perform specific roles:
In order of seniority, the cardinals will walk to the table in front of the altar, where the Scrutineers sit, to cast their ballot.
After all ballots are cast, the first Scrutineer shakes the urn to mix them up. The third Scrutineer counts the ballots. If the number of ballots doesn’t match the number of electors, the ballots are burned and the vote is redone.
If the number is correct, the first Scrutineer unfolds the ballot, notes the name and passes it to the second Scrutineer.
The second Scrutineer notes the name and passes the ballot to the third Scrutineer.
The last Scrutineer reads the name aloud for all the cardinals to hear and records the vote. As the name is read out, the Scrutineer threads a needle through the ballot with the word “Eligo” (“I elect”) and secures it to the other ballots.
After reading out all the names, the cardinals learn if they have elected a new pope. For each round, the sewn-together ballots are placed in a third urn for burning.
The color of the smoke from that fire tells the world when there is a new pope.
As the world waits for white smoke, there’s growing hope in the square that tonight could bring a decision. But beyond the speculation, the emotion on the ground is clear – people are looking for peace.
CNN Vatican analyst Elisabetta Pique said this message has been visible in the crowd itself, as she said she spotted a young woman from Ukraine with a big sign that reads simply: “Peace.”
In a world that is “broken,” Pique said, “people want peace.”
“We are in a polarized world, we need someone that can connect with people and still give this message of hope,” she added. “People are looking for someone that gives them some sense of peace in themselves.”
Cardinal Giovanni Re — the 91-year-old Dean of the College of Cardinals, or the most senior cardinal bishop — said he is hoping that this evening will deliver the Catholic world its new pope.
Being over the age of 80, Cardinal Re is unable to vote in the conclave — but his influence is still being felt in it. He presided over Pope Francis’ funeral and the Mass before the conclave, where he delivered the central homily and made what seemed to be a Francisan call to cherish “diversity.”
“The unity of the Church is willed by Christ; a unity that does not mean uniformity, but a firm and profound communion in diversity, provided that full fidelity to the Gospel is maintained,” Cardinal Re said during the service.
Speaking Thursday during a visit to Pompei, Cardinal Re said he hopes that when he returns to Rome this evening, he will find white smoke rising from the Sistine Chapel’s chimney, CNN’s affiliate Sky TG24 reported.
He said the new pope “first of all must try to strengthen faith in God in this world of ours characterized by technological progress.”
“From a spiritual point of view, we have noticed a bit of ‘forgetting God,’” he added. “So there is the need for a reawakening.”
As the wait for white smoke continues in St. Peter’s Square, bystanders have found different ways to pass the time.
A group of young people could be seen sitting on the ground playing cards on Thursday, while others were browsing souvenir shops during moments of calm. Elsewhere, a nearby cafe functioned as a temporary resting spot for a group of nuns.
Around 15,000 people gathered in the square on Thursday morning, eagerly awaiting the possibility of a newly elected pope, according to Vatican Media.
For a second time, however, the smoke was black - meaning no pope has yet been chosen.
More than four out of five of the cardinals who are selecting the next pontiff owe their positions to Pope Francis.
Of the 133 members of the College of Cardinals under the age of 80 who are eligible to vote in the conclave, Pope Francis installed 108. That’s more than 80% of the cardinals.
The conclave is “one of the most diverse that we’ve had in the history of the church,” Susan Timoney, a professor at the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC, told CNN ahead of today’s ceremonies.
During his 12-year papacy, Francis appointed more than 20 cardinals from countries that had never previously had a cardinal, nearly all from developing countries, including Mongolia, Laos, Papua New Guinea and Mali.
Since many of the cardinals appointed by previous popes turned 80 during Francis’ papacy, this “generation shift in the age of the cardinals” allowed him to appoint new members from different parts of the world, Timoney said.
Some have speculated that this could lead to the conclave appointing a successor that will continue Francis’ pastoral priorities.
If voting goes into a fourth day, “eyebrows will start to raise” about the possibility of division among the cardinals, according to an assistant professor of Catholic studies.
“It’s very possible that this will go into a third day,” Susan Reynolds of Emory University told CNN. “If it goes longer than a third day, then I think some eyebrows will start to raise about the suspicion of division amongst the cardinals.”
“Over the past century or so, conclaves have tended to last well under a week… the modern conclave tends to last three days on average,” she added.
Asked if the cardinals will be lobbying for their favorite pontiff during today’s lunch break, Reynolds said that “this is not a silent process… of course they are talking to one another.”
Catholics around the world are waiting to learn the identity of their next leader.
Since Pope Francis appointed more than 20 cardinals from countries that had never previously had a cardinal, there has been much speculation that his successor could come from a part of the world underrepresented in the church’s history
Francis himself was the first Latin American pontiff, and during his papacy he championed what he called the “peripheries” of the world, traveling to the far corners of Asia, Africa and South America.
Here’s a look at where most popes have been from – and where the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics live.
Cardinals who have “never been heard before” are at the conclave to elect the next pope, says a Roman Catholic Passionist priest.
“It’s such a diverse body and (we have) cardinals who have come from places that have never had a cardinal before,” Father Enzo Del Brocco told CNN. “That is something positive.”
“Voices that have never been heard before are present to elect the next pope,” he added.
More than four out of five of the cardinals who are selecting the next pontiff owe their positions to Pope Francis. Many of those are from developing countries, including Mongolia, Laos and Mali.
Del Brocco said he isn’t worried about how long it takes for the new pope to be elected. It could be beneficial for longer deliberations to take place, he said, as the cardinals are able to get to know one another better.
Once again, thousands of people crowded into St. Peter’s Square on Thursday morning to watch for the first sign of smoke from the Sistine Chapel’s chimney.
For a second time, the smoke was black - meaning no pope has yet been chosen.
The disappointed crowd quickly made for the exits, although many said they’d be back this afternoon for the fourth – and potentially fifth – rounds of voting.
“They need some time,” said Lydia, a tourist from Russia. “I didn’t expect that today they would choose a new pope.”
“I love the atmosphere. Everybody is so intrigued,” she said.
A Filipino woman said she had come to watch for the smoke last night and was “a little bit disappointed” that this morning’s smoke was black again.
She said she was excited that Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle is thought to be among the frontrunners to become the next pope. He would be the first Filipino pontiff.
“If the Holy Spirit gives it to Cardinal Tagle, it’s a big honor for the Philippines. But it’s a big responsibility also – a big pressure,” she said.
People from all over the world have descended on the Vatican. Some are only in Rome for a couple of days and are hoping their vacation coincides with the election of a new pope. Others live locally and say they’ll keep coming back for as long as it takes.
Although there were groans among the crowd when black smoke rose from the Sistine Chapel’s chimney on Thursday, it was unlikely that the 133 cardinals would have reached a two-thirds majority in just three sessions of voting.
Popes Benedict XVI and Francis were both elected on the second day of voting, but only in the afternoon sessions. Benedict required four rounds; Francis took five.
But their elections were swift by historical standards.
Pope John Paul II, Benedict’s predecessor, took slightly longer. He was elected in 1978 on the third day of voting, in the eighth round.
The conclaves held earlier in the 20th century took more time. In 1903, it took five days of voting to elect Pope Pius X — the same number it took to elect Pius XI in 1922.
After black smoke billowed from the chimney above the Sistine Chapel on Thursday, there was a palpable feeling of disappointment in the air.
People have now started to leave the area as lunch approaches, after cardinals failed to elect a new pope after two new rounds of voting on Thursday morning.
The assumption was that smoke would come a little closer to 1 p.m. local time, but it appears that they were able to speed up the process compared to yesterday’s vote.
This was the second vote of the morning – and the third ballot overall – confirming that the cardinals have not yet reached a consensus on who should be pope.
This is not unusual. Pope Benedict XVI was elected after four ballots, Pope Francis was after five and Pope John Paul II was after eight.
There is just huge anticipation, everyone at the Vatican is on chimney watch.
I imagine tonight there will be even more anticipation as they move into what will be the fourth and fifth ballots – the very rounds the last two conclaves produced a result. That alone will have people watching closely.
I do think it’s significant that they seem to have got through the morning votes much faster, they’ve got into their stride.
This has come in good time.
Black smoke has risen above the Sistine Chapel, meaning that cardinals have failed to elect a new pope after two new rounds of voting on Thursday morning. They’ll meet again in the afternoon.
Black smoke billowed from the Sistine Chapel chimney on Wednesday evening, signaling that the cardinals had voted but not yet reached the two-thirds majority needed to elect a new pope.
But this was to be expected. No one was really expecting white smoke last night. That’s because the first vote is really about setting out where the support lies within the cardinals.
If there is white smoke early in the conclave, it would indicate that one of the frontrunners may have achieved the consensus.
Cardinal Pietro Parolin and Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle are seen as favorites because many of the cardinals know who they are.
We must remember, this is a group of cardinals drawn from across the world, who don’t know each other very well. They’ve been wearing name badges when they’ve been meeting.
But Parolin and Tagle have roles in the Vatican, which means they have met many of the cardinals. They are known – that’s what makes them frontrunners.
Cardinal Parolin, who is presiding over the papal conclave, clearly has support within the Vatican. There was an embrace from Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re during the Mass yesterday, with Cardinal Re saying “double good wishes.”
Now, that could mean good luck in your role overseeing the conclave, but it could also be viewed in other ways. It was quite an interesting gesture.
An old saying about papal elections goes as follows: “He who enters the conclave as pope, leaves it as a cardinal.”
In other words, any candidate seen as the frontrunner before the voting begins should be treated with caution, and no cardinal should go into the Sistine Chapel assuming they will get the votes.
Still, Vatican analysts have come up with a string of contenders thought to have a good chance of becoming the next pope, known as “papabile” – or, translated from the Italian, “pope-able.”
Here are a few of the favorites – although there is no clear frontrunner.
Read more about the possible candidates here.
Beneath the shadow of the Sistine Chapel’s chimney, visitors from around the world are gathering with eyes fixed skyward, waiting for a puff of white smoke and the first sign of a new pope.
“We came for the jubilee year,” said Theresa Lacsina, 74, visiting from Maryland. “Perfect timing for the conclave, it just so happened the conclave happens on our week here,” she said.
Linda Anden, 79, from Canada, said she and her companions are looking for an “older” pope to be elected.
“We’re hoping for an older pope,” she said. “Cardinal Tagle is one of the favorites, but we hope for an older pope. That’s why we’re not hoping for him.”
“We’re hoping to see the white smoke this evening,” added Jo Dawang, 75, also from Canada.
For now, the square remains in suspense, as the world waits for the chimney’s next signal.
Last night, more than 45,000 people waited in St. Peter’s Square to see the color of the smoke that would billow from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel.
Black smoke means no pope has yet been chosen. White smoke means the Catholic Church has a new leader.
The practice of using smoke to signify that cardinals have chosen a new pope dates back to the 1800s, according to Frederic Baumgartner, a historian of papal elections.
Speaking to CNN in 2013, Baumgartner said in the 1800s the smoke was “taken as meaning that there had been no election – and that they were burning the ballots after scrutiny.”
But things changed during the 1903 conclave, where white and black smoke came to signify whether a new pope had been chosen or not.
“The primary reason they went for the black and white smoke was because there was confusion in the crowds as to what was going on,” Baumgartner explained.
Various chemicals are added to the blaze to make the black smoke darker and the white smoke more visible. Even as night drew in on Thursday, the smoke rising from the chimney was clearly black.
Over the past few days, the Sistine Chapel has been transformed from one of the world’s busiest tourist sites into the world’s most secretive — and beautiful — polling station.
Using a wealth of sketches and photographs from over the centuries, a team of Vatican staff were tasked with creating a “photocopy” of previous conclaves.
Two rows of raw wood tables covered with beige cloth and burgundy satin line either side of the chapel. Each cardinal sits on a chair made of cherry wood, marked with his name.
In front of the altar — below Michelangelo’s “The Last Judgment” — stands a lectern with a book of the Gospels, upon which the cardinals swore their oaths of secrecy. Next to the lectern is a raw wood table, with an urn in which the votes are collected.
The cardinals do not walk directly on top of the chapel’s floor, but on a flat wooden structure covered in a beige cloth. Each cardinal will also receive a pen, a red folder, and a ballot paper.
Once the ballots have been cast and counted, the cardinals will learn whether they have chosen a pope or not. Either way, the ballots from each round will be burned in a famous stove, placed behind a marble barrier. The color of the smoke from the ballots will tell the outside world whether it has a new pope.
After spending the night and having breakfast at their Santa Marta residence, the cardinals will reconvene in the Sistine Chapel for the second round of voting.
Whereas yesterday’s procession to the Sistine Chapel was broadcast to the world, we won’t see any of the cardinals’ movements today. They have been sequestered — and our only glimpse into their thinking will be the smoke that billows from the chapel’s chimney.
As many as four votes can be held today — two in the morning, and two in the afternoon.
But we won’t see smoke more than twice today. We’ll either see white smoke or no smoke during this morning’s first vote, and then either white smoke or black smoke for the second round. The same is true in the afternoon’s two sessions.
If we get a pope in the first round of voting this morning, we should see smoke at around 10:30 a.m. local time (4:30 a.m. ET). If not, the first time we’ll see smoke is at around midday (6 a.m. ET).
If we get to the afternoon, we will either see smoke at around 5:30 p.m. local (11:30 a.m. ET) or 7 p.m. (1 p.m. ET).
The first day of conclave failed to deliver the Catholic Church its 267th pope.
This much was expected. To become pope, a cardinal needs two-thirds of the ballots cast by the College of Cardinals — that’s 89 votes out of the 133 eligible cardinals. That was always unlikely on the first day.
Day two could be different. As many as four votes can be held today. It was in the final vote on day two that Pope Francis was elected in 2013.
Stay with us as we bring you live coverage from the Vatican.
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