Robert Francis Prevost Elected as First American Pope

He selected the name Pope Leo XIV.

Newly elected Pope Leo XIV, Robert Francis Prevost, arrives on the main central loggia balcony of the St Peter's Basilica for the first time, after the cardinals ended the conclave, in the Vatican, on May 8, 2025. Alberto Pizzoli/AFP via Getty Images

A new pope has been elected and he is American.

The College of Cardinals have chosen Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, on the evening of May 8 on the third overall vote of the conclave.