The temporary chimney atop the Sistine Chapel released a plume of white smoke on Thursday evening local time, signaling that the 133 cardinals working inside had reached a two-thirds majority to elect a new pope for the Catholic Church.
American Cardinal Robert Prevost was shortly thereafter announced as the 267th pontiff. He chose the name Leo XIV, a senior cardinal deacon announced.
The 69-year-old Chicago native is the first American pope and is seen as a diplomat in the church.
“This is the first greeting of the risen Christ. May the peace be with you,” Leo said in Italian in his first remarks as pope. “This is the peace of the risen Christ.”
Pope Leo addresses cardinals, explains choice of papal name
The Press office of the Holy See released comments that Pope Leo XIV made to his cardinals at their meeting this morning.
“Beginning with Saint Peter and up to myself, his unworthy Successor, the Pope has been a humble servant of God and of his brothers and sisters, and nothing more than this,” the pope began his address.
His remarks praised the late Pope Francis for his “example” shown.
“It has been clearly seen in the example of so many of my Predecessors, and most recently by Pope Francis himself, with his example of complete dedication to service and to sober simplicity of life, his abandonment to God throughout his ministry and his serene trust at the moment of his return to the Father’s house,” Pope Leo said. “Let us take up this precious legacy and continue on the journey, inspired by the same hope that is born of faith.”
He also explained his decision to take up his papal name, saying he was inspired by Pope Leo XIII “who in his historic Encyclical Rerum Novarum addressed the social question in the context of the first great industrial revolution.”
He explained, “In our own day, the Church offers to everyone the treasury of her social teaching in response to another industrial revolution and to developments in the field of artificial intelligence that pose new challenges for the defence of human dignity, justice and labour.”
What Pope Leo has said about climate change
The newly elected Pope Leo XIV has been outspoken about the need for action to fight global warming, according to the College of Cardinals Report — a document that offers profiles on dozens of papal candidates.
Leo has in the past warned against the “harmful” consequences of unchecked technological advancement and aligns closely with Pope Francis’ environmental priorities, his profile states.
The new pope has spoken about global warming as recent as November 2024.
During a seminar in Rome dedicated to “addressing the problems of the environmental crisis,” Leo said it was time to move “from words to action” on the environmental crisis.
He praised efforts by the Vatican to reduce its carbon footprint by installing solar panels and switching to electric vehicles.
The conference brought cardinals together to discuss the negative impacts climate change imposes on the most vulnerable populations around the world.
He also stressed at the time the need for the Catholic Church’s involvement in the climate fight is based on the Social Doctrine of the Church — a fundamental framework of social teachings. Humans must engage in a “relationship of reciprocity” with the environmental, rather than “tyrannical,” Leo said.