White smoke in the Vatican: Pope Leo XIV elected. Today, Thursday, May 8, 2025, marks a historic date with the election of the 267th Bishop of Rome. At 19:13, the Cardinal Protodeacon announced that the new Pope is Robert Francis Prevost, an American with Italian, French, and Spanish roots, who has chosen to take the name Leo XIV. The long-awaited white smoke emerged from the Sistine Chapel shortly after 18:00, accompanied by the joyful sound of the bells of St. Peter’s Basilica.
Unlike the conclave of 2013, where Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected on the fifth ballot, this time the decision was made on the fourth round, making this election one of the quickest in recent papacies. With this appointment, Pope Leo XIV becomes the first North American pontiff in the history of the Catholic Church.
