Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost elected as new Pope
Photo: Robert Francis Prevost (GettyImagеs)
Today, the conclave of cardinals elected American Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost as the Pope, informs The Guardian.
His papal name will be Leo XIV, and he will become the first American Pope in history.
What is known about the new Pope
Robert Francis Prevost was born on September 14, 1955, in Chicago, USA. He is an American-Peruvian curial cardinal and an Augustinian. He served as the Prior General of the Augustinian Order from September 14, 2001, to September 4, 2013.
In 2023, Pope Francis made him a cardinal and appointed him as the head of the Dicastery for Bishops, a significant position responsible for the selection of new bishops.
He has supported Pope Francis’s stance on allowing divorced and remarried Catholics to receive Holy Communion.
Regarding the issue of blessing same-sex couples, he has expressed cautious support for Pope Francis's initiative to permit priests to do so.
Before the conclave, he was referred to as a compromise candidate for the papal throne.
His extensive time spent in Peru gives him an international dimension, making him seen more as a global candidate rather than solely a representative of the United States.
However, some cardinals may view him as too young and insufficiently experienced in the cardinalate for serious consideration.
Death of Pope Francis and election of new pontiff
Pope Francis died on April 21 as a result of a stroke. The farewell ceremony for the pontiff took place on April 26 in Vatican City — about 400,000 people gathered for the ceremony. He was buried in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome.
On May 7, the cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church began the conclave to elect a new Pope.
Today, the conclave elected the 267th Pope. This occurred on the second day of voting.
