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New Pope Leo XIV – what we all know to this point
Jakub Krupa
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69-year-old US cardinal Robert Francis Prevost has been elected as Pope Leo XIV, prompted celebration and delight amongst greater than 100,000 pilgrims and vacationers in St Peter’s Sq..
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The reasonable, Chicago-born cardinal was given senior roles by Pope Francis, and has important missionary expertise in Peru having served as bishop of the northern metropolis of Chiclayo.


That’s all from me, Jakub Krupa, however Marina Dunbar will information you thru the night in Rome with the newest updates.
Key occasions

Dan Collyns
Peru’s president, Dina Boluarte, hailed the “historic” election of Leo XIV, whom she described as a Peruvian “by alternative and conviction” who had devoted greater than 20 years of service to the nation. She added that Prevost, 69, “selected to be one in every of us, to reside amongst us and to hold in his coronary heart the religion, tradition and desires of this nation”.
She added: “The pope is Peruvian; God loves Peru.”
Even so, Prevost has spoken out towards Boluarte’s authorities up to now. In early 2023, he described his “disappointment and ache” over the deaths of 49 protesters in anti-government demonstrations that erupted when President Boluarte took workplace in December 2022, changing Pedro Castillo who was pressured out for trying to droop congress.
On the time Prevost mentioned the unrest mirrored the historic neglect of Peru’s poor, saying: “This battle doesn’t symbolize the most effective of the nation.”
Pope Leo additionally referred to as on late former president Alberto Fujimori, who was jailed in 2009 for human rights abuses and corruption to make an apology from every of his authorities’s victims with a view to start a strategy of reconciliation.
His suggestion got here simply two days after Fujimori was given a presidential pardon as a part of a political deal and launched a video with a half-hearted apology. Prevost pointedly instructed “it might be more practical to make an apology, personally, for a few of the nice injustices that have been dedicated and for which he was tried and sentenced”.
The controversial ex-leader was despatched again to jail in 2018, solely to be pardoned once more in 2023 amid road protests. He died in 2024 and was given a state funeral.

Dan Collyns
As information of Leo’s election started to sink in, social media in Peru was flooded with memes of the pope consuming ceviche, Peru’s flagship dish, and ingesting Inca Kola, its bubblegum-flavoured tender drink.
Others confirmed him in Peru’s red-and-white soccer shirt and one other humorous picture confirmed the popemobile refashioned as a three-wheeled motorbike rickshaw, the principal mode of transport in a lot of the nation.
Some posts on social media jokingly claimed that the brand new pope was “extra Latino than the complete forged of Emilia Pérez”, referencing the French movie that sparked controversy over its portrayal of Mexico.
Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas has referred to as on the brand new Pope Leo XIV to pursue the “peace efforts” of his predecessor Francis, in an official assertion.
Abbas despatched “greatest needs for the success of Pope Leo XIV within the pursuit of his noble process and sustaining the legacy of the late Pope Francis,” mentioned the assertion.
Abbas highlighted the “significance of the ethical, spiritual and political function of the Vatican within the defence of simply causes”, including that “the Palestinian folks and their proper to liberty and independence” must be on the prime.
Pope Francis had been a critic of Israel’s conflict on Gaza and had referred to as the Holy Household Church in Gaza Metropolis on daily basis after the conflict started till his loss of life.
Shortly after his loss of life it was revealed that Francis had accredited the conversion of his popemobile right into a cellular well being clinic to deal with kids in Gaza.
Pope Leo XIV fell in love with Peru and its signature dish of uncooked seafood, ceviche, over his almost 20 years within the nation, his successor as bishop of the northern metropolis of Chiclayo has mentioned mentioned. AFP stories:
“He liked goat, duck with rice and ceviche, these have been his favorite dishes,” Chiclayo’s present bishop Edison Farfan advised a press convention.
He added that there have been images in Chiclayo of him driving a horse.
Farfan recalled Prevost’s beginnings in Peru as a missionary within the northern city of Chulucanas, contemporary out of college in the USA.
From there he moved to the coastal metropolis of Trujillo, the place he helped arrange an Augustinian seminary, earlier than lastly winding up within the far northern metropolis of Chiclayo, the place he was ordained a bishop in 2015, Farfan mentioned.
Leo gave “his complete life to the mission in Peru,” Farfan mentioned, including that the brand new pontiff, like his Argentine predecessor Francis, was significantly pushed by poverty and by folks residing on the “periphery” of society.

Anna Betts
The web exploded with humor and Chicago pleasure on Thursday following the historic announcement that Robert Francis Prevost, a 69-year-old American clergyman from Chicago, has been named the brand new pope.
The Chicago mayor, Brandon Johnson, celebrated the second on social media, posting:
All the things dope, together with the Pope, comes from Chicago! Congratulations to the primary American Pope Leo XIV! We hope to welcome you again dwelling quickly.
Different customers requested for “images of the brand new pope at the Bean” Chicago’s well-known sculpture, whereas MSNBC’s Chris Hayes questioned whether or not the pope was a Chicago Cubs fan, as others requested if he was a White Sox fan.
One X person joked: “In honor of Chicago’s personal Pope Leo XIV, the White Sox announce the brand new ‘White Smoke Shake’ that might be served in a commemorative pope hat.” One other poked enjoyable on the Chicago Bears American Soccer workforce, writing: “Chicago produced a pope earlier than a QB who throws for 4,000 yards.”
Others referenced Chicago’s well-known deep dish pizza, joking concerning the pope serving deep dish pizza and to ask whether or not the brand new pope thinks that Chicago or Rome have higher pizza.
The UN’s secretary basic, António Guterres, has provided his “heartfelt” congratulations to Pope Leo XIV and Catholics world wide.
“Our world is in want of the strongest voices for peace, social justice, human dignity [and] compassion,” the UN chief posted to X.
I stay up for constructing on the lengthy legacy of cooperation between the UN and the Holy See to advance solidarity, foster reconciliation & construct a simply and sustainable world for all.
Robert Francis Prevost: the reasonable, good humoured first American pope
Sam Jones
Robert Francis Prevost – who has chosen the papal title Leo XIV – will not be the Latin American Jesuit wildcard that his predecessor, Pope Francis, was, however his election is equally historic.
Within the determine of the 69-year-old former head of the Augustinian order, the Roman Catholic church has its very first US chief.
Till Thursday night, the concept of the fisherman’s ring being slipped on to a North American hand was seen as a reasonably distant chance.
The Vatican’s longstanding opposition to a US pope stemmed largely from the optics of getting a pontiff from a political superpower and a rustic with such a hegemonic cultural and secular international affect.
However all that modified after a brief conclave that selected a person who had been a cardinal for less than somewhat greater than two years.
Whereas his appointment is more likely to be welcomed by progressive factions throughout the church, it was in all probability not the information that a few of his extra conservative, Trump-aligned US brother cardinals had been hoping for.
Learn the total profile: Robert Francis Prevost: the reasonable, good humoured first American pope
Canada’s newly elected prime minister, Mark Carney, has referred to as the pope’s election a “historic day for Catholics and all who look to the Vatican for steerage”.
A training Catholic, Carney mentioned he provided his “prayers and greatest needs” to Pope Leo XIV, including:
At a time of worldwide challenges, could his preach carry ahead a mission of solidarity, compassion, and dignity for all.
A London LGBT+ religion group has welcomed the election of Robert Francis Prevost as Pope Leo XIV and mentioned it hopes he has “moved on” from earlier remarks the place he criticised the “gay way of life”.
As we reported earlier, Prevost mentioned in a 2012 handle to the world Synod of Bishops that “Western mass media is very efficient in fostering inside most people huge sympathy for beliefs and practices which are at odds with the Gospel — for instance abortion, gay way of life, euthanasia”.
“We belief he might be open to take heed to the lived expertise of LGBT+ Catholics, their dad and mom and households,” the assertion by the LGBT+ Catholics Westminster Pastoral Council reads.
Opinions and concepts can change, and he supported Pope Francis’ change in pastoral observe to permit divorced and civilly remarried Catholics to obtain Holy Communion, and he confirmed assist for Fiducia Supplicans, permitting blessings for same-sex {couples}.
He has expressed openness to marginalized teams, although his stance on particular points stays ambiguous, together with the issues of LGBT+ Catholics.

Jason Rodrigues
Within the early hours of 20 February 1878, following a 3rd poll, the door of the bottom gallery of the Vatican Basilica was thrown open and Italian-born Cardinal Pecci was introduced because the successor to Pope Pius IX.
Based on our Particular Correspondent, the brand new Pope’s first look gave the sign for the ‘most vociferous cheering’, the Rome crowd taking on the shout and crying “lengthy reside the Pope”.
Readers have been additionally advised that the brand new Pope, who had chosen Leo out of admiration for Pope Leo XII, was a “man of reasonable views in spiritual issues, although of distinguished piety, mixed with nice power and character…”
Leo XIII’s papacy lasted till his loss of life in 1903, making him one of many longest-serving Popes.
Biographers later famous that he “introduced a brand new spirit to the papacy, expressed in additional conciliatory positions towards civil governments, by much less opposition to scientific progress, and by an consciousness of the pastoral and social wants of the occasions.”
Listed here are some photographs from the newswires exhibiting how folks from world wide cheered the election of Robert Francis Prevost, now often known as Pope Leo XIV.
Abstract of the day to this point
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A brand new pope is elected. US cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, might be often known as Pope Leo XIV. It’s been a protracted whereas since we had a pope with this title: final Leo, Leo XIII, was elected in 1878 and served till his loss of life in 1903.
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In his first feedback after his election, Pope Leo XIV preached a message of “unity” and of “shifting ahead”. He mentioned he desires this message of peace to “enter your hearts, to achieve your households and all folks, wherever they’re.”
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Many shared their pleasure at having an American pope, and particularly a pope born in Chicago. Metropolis mayor Brandon Johnson tweeted “All the things dope, together with the Pope, comes from Chicago” and former US president Barack Obama congratulated the “fellow Chicagoan” on social media.
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US president Donald Trump mentioned he was “stunned” however that it’s a “nice honor” to have an American pope. World leaders from a number of international locations together with Italy, Spain, Greece, Ukraine, Peru and the United Kingdom have provided their congratulations.
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An account on X extensively believed to belong to the brand new pope reveals him to be considerably crucial of the Trump administration. The account posted two articles that took subject with the stance by JD Vance, additionally a Catholic, on immigration. One article was headlined “JD Vance is flawed: Jesus doesn’t ask us to rank our love for others.”
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In a 2012 handle to the world Synod of Bishops, Father Robert Francis Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV appeared to criticize homosexuality, saying “Western mass media is very efficient in fostering inside most people huge sympathy for beliefs and practices which are at odds with the Gospel — for instance abortion, gay way of life, euthanasia”.