The wait is over. On May 8, at 6:07 p.m. local time, a billow of white smoke rose from the Sistine Chapel in Rome, indicating that the Conclave had selected a new pope. Not long after, the results became clear: the electorate had chosen Pope Leo XIV to succeed Pope Francis, who died on Easter Monday, April 21.
An enormous crowd gathered in St. Peter’s Square, shouting “Viva il papa,” as they awaited the new pope’s emergence on the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica. After two days and four rounds of voting, the first pope from the United States was elected.
Robert Prevost, now and forever to be known as Pope Leo XIV, was born in Chicago, but he spent many years as a missionary in Peru.
Prevost’s choice for his name is symbolic. Pope Leo XIII was Italian and led the church from 1878 to 1903. Leo XIII was known for his beliefs in social justice and reform. It is believed that Leo XIV will continue championing the concerns of Leo XIII and Pope Francis while forging his own path.
“The pope is the symbolic head of the community, the person that people look to for hope and consolation when things are going badly for them,” St. Mark’s chaplain Rev. Stephen Arbogast said. “He also helps in offering direction and guidance when they’re trying to make decisions. The pope is also responsible for mundane tasks, including budgeting, policies, rules and regulations.”
Pope Francis, the first Latin American pope, was best known as a man of the people who concentrated on helping the poor and society’s outcasts.
Although the pope serves the 1.4 billion Catholics around the world, his influence extends much further. When elected at the Conclave on March 13, 2013, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina was relatively unknown on the global stage. He chose the name Francis and became an ambassador for the Catholic faith.
“He was a very strong advocate that we should take care of the marginalized in society — the people who are not powerful, not famous, not wealthy,” Arbogast said.
While living in the Vatican, Pope Francis chose to live in small quarters, representing his humbleness and desire for a simpler lifestyle. His unassuming lifestyle extended to his death, as he decided to be buried in the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major instead of in the Vatican.
“Half the people want someone exactly like what they’ve had in the past, and half the people want somebody who’s anything but what they have in the past,” Arbogast said, “There are Catholic churches, hospitals, schools, universities and social service agencies in almost every country in the world, and the impact of the pope’s death would directly affect all those organizations.”
After deliberations, paper ballots are signed, counted and burned. Smoke wafts above the Sistine Chapel indicate the round of voting is complete. Black smoke means no decision; white smoke indicates a new pope has been elected. Pope Leo XIV marks the beginning of a new era for the Catholic Church and the world.
