Cardinal Robert Prevost of the United States elected as new Pope
Cardinal Robert Prevost from the United States was elected as the new pope on the second day of voting.
White smoke billowed from the Sistine Chapel chimney on Thursday, the second day of voting, signaling the election of a new pope. In a secret meeting, the cardinals elected Cardinal Robert Provost, 69, the first American to be elected as the new pope. He took the name Pope Leo XIV.
After the white smoke was seen as the new pope was elected, the bells of St. Peter's Basilica also rang and the approximately 40,000 people present in St. Peter's Square also began to rejoice in the election of the new pope. After the election of the pope, the cardinals gathered on both sides of the main balcony of the Vatican in front of the crowd present in St. Peter's Square and the crowd, while expressing joy at the election of the new pope, awaited his presence on the balcony.
According to reports published by Vatican-based media, 133 cardinals from 70 countries participated in the vote, a significant increase compared to 2013, when 115 cardinals from 48 countries participated.
Cardinal Robert, who was elected as the new pope, was born in Chicago and is known as a reformist figure who worked as a missionary in Peru for many years before becoming a bishop and is also a Peruvian citizen. He is also remembered as a popular figure who works with the disadvantaged and marginalized.
He has not yet revealed the reason for choosing the name Leo XIV, but the name "Leon" has also been chosen by previous popes. The first pope to choose this name was Pope Leo I, known as "Leo the Great." The 45th pope in history and known for his commitment to peace, he led the church from 440 to 461 AD.
The last person to take the name "Leon" was Pope Leo XIII, an Italian man with the baptismal name "Vincenzo Gioacchino Pecci," who was elected as the 256th Pope in 1878. He dedicated himself to addressing social issues and achieving social justice.
The new Pope has now chosen the name "Leon," one of the most popular papal names, which has different pronunciations in different languages. He will henceforth be called Pope "Leone" by Italians, Pope "Léon" in French, and Pope "Leo" in English.
