Habemus papam! Cardinal Robert Prevost will sit on the Throne of Peter. He took the name Leo XIV

The conclave convened after the death of Pope Francis began on Wednesday, May 7. The new pope was elected the following day, on the feast of St. Stanislaus and the feast of Our Lady of Pompeii. 133 cardinals from five continents took part in the vote. The youngest of them was 45 years old, the oldest – 79. The electors included four cardinals from Poland: Cardinal Stanisław Ryłko, Cardinal Kazimierz Nycz, Cardinal Konrad Krajewski and Cardinal Grzegorz Ryś.

The veterans of the conclave were 5 cardinals created by John Paul II: Philippe Barbarin from France, Josip Bozanić from Croatia, Péter Erdő from Hungary, Vinko Puljić from Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Peter Turkson from Ghana. 22 electors received the cardinal's biretta from Benedict XVI, and 108 wear it from Pope Francis.

The conclave ended after the fourth or fifth ballot. Cardinal Robert Prevost became the 267th pope, the 266th successor to St. Peter, and the first pope from the United States.

"May peace be with you" - these are the words with which the newly elected Pope greeted the faithful./ Photo: em/tvp.info

What do we know about the new pope?

Cardinal Prevost was born in Chicago in 1955. He was ordained a priest at age 27. He earned a doctorate in canon law from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome. He has served in Peru since 1985 as a parish priest, missionary, and lecturer. He then returned to the United States and from 2001 to 2013 presided over the Order of St. Augustine. After returning to Peru, he served as bishop of the diocese of Chiclayo from 2015 to 2023. In 2023, he was created a cardinal and also prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, which recommends new bishops to the pope. In February 2025, Pope Francis named him cardinal bishop of the Italian diocese of Albano.

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