On Thursday evening, white smoke from the Sistine Chapel confirmed the election of Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost as pope, who has chosen the name Leo XIV. At 69, he is the first American pope in history. He was elected on the second day of the conclave after two rounds of voting and secured the required two-thirds majority from 133 cardinals.

On Thursday evening, shortly after 6:00 PM Central European Summer Time, a plume of white smoke emerged from the chimney atop the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican, signaling to the world that a new pope had been chosen. This traditional sign of papal election was met with an outburst of jubilation from the crowd gathered in St. Peter's Square. Onlookers cheered loudly and waved enthusiastically at the cameras and fellow spectators as they witnessed the historic moment unfold.

Soon after, Cardinal Dominique Mamberti, the "proto-deacon" of the College of Cardinals, stepped onto the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica to make the formal proclamation. He announced that the newly elected pope was American Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, who has chosen the papal name Leo XIV.

At 69 years old, Pope Leo XIV is the first American in history to ascend to the papacy. He hails from Chicago and was elevated to the rank of cardinal in 2023 by the late Pope Francis. The conclave's decision was made public a little over an hour after the white smoke first appeared.

The election of Leo XIV occurred on the evening of the conclave’s second day. Earlier in the day, two rounds of voting had failed to produce a result, as indicated by black smoke rising from the same chimney in the morning. In order to be elected, a candidate needed to secure a two-thirds majority—equivalent to 89 votes—out of the 133 cardinals eligible to cast ballots. Pope Leo XIV now steps into the role as the spiritual leader of over a billion Catholics worldwide, following in the footsteps of his predecessor, Pope Francis.