Averting a financial crisis “will rank among most pressing issues for the new pontiff,” says Charles Gillespie, PhD, professor at Sacred Heart University in Connecticut.

Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost – now known as Pope Leo XIV — is the first pope from the United States. The 69-year-old from Chicago is known as a leader with global experience. He spent much of his career as a missionary in South America and most recently led a powerful Vatican office for bishop appointments.

Political figures around the world have congratulated Robert Francis Prevost, now known as Pope Leo XIV, after his election on Thursday, May 8, as Pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church. Hailing from Chicago and a dual U.

The 2025 papal conclave at the Vatican ended with the election of American-born Cardinal Robert Prevost as Pope Leo XIV. Here's what to know about him.

Prevost, 69, was considered a contender for the papacy but was largely overlooked by many bettors and experts in favor of other cardinals, including Pietro Parolin and Luis Antonio Tagle.

The newly anointed Pope Leo XIV came to the balcony clad in a white cassock topped by a red cape trimmed in ermine and draped in a gold embroidered sash. He clasped his hands in prayer and smiled as the crowds chanted his name, and “ Viva La Papa! ”

Get all the news you need in your inbox each morning. Live updates: History is made with Pope Leo XIV, first-ever pontiff from US Ordained in 1982,

The 73-year-old Florida man appears to be a staunch Trump supporter who uses his Facebook account to go on the attack.