Robert Francis Prevost was elected on Thursday by 133 cardinals to lead the world’s 1.4 billion Roman Catholics. The first pope from the United States, he chose the name Leo XIV.
Here’s what to know about the new pope, how he was chosen and the issues he will face as the successor to Pope Francis, who died last month at 88.
Who is the new pope?
Robert Francis Prevost, 69, was born in Chicago and served for two decades in Peru, where he became a bishop and a naturalized citizen, then rose to lead his international religious order. Until the death of his predecessor, Pope Francis, he held one of the most influential Vatican posts, running the office that selects and manages bishops globally.
A member of the Order of St. Augustine, he resembles Francis in his commitment to the poor and migrants, and to meeting people where they are. He told the Vatican’s official news website last year that “the bishop is not supposed to be a little prince sitting in his kingdom.”
He has spent much of his life outside the United States. Ordained in 1982 at 27, he received a doctorate in canon law at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome. In Peru, he was a missionary, parish priest, teacher and bishop. As the Augustinians’ leader, he visited orders around the world. He also speaks Spanish and Italian.
Where does he stand on the major issues?
Often described as reserved and discreet, he would depart stylistically from Francis as pope. Supporters believe he will most likely continue the consultative process started by Francis to invite lay people to meet with bishops.
It is unclear whether he will be as open to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Catholics as Francis was. Although he has not said much recently, in a 2012 address to bishops, he lamented that Western news media and popular culture fostered “sympathy for beliefs and practices that are at odds with the Gospel.” He cited the “homosexual lifestyle” and “alternative families comprised of same-sex partners and their adopted children.”
He, like many other cardinals, has drawn criticism over his dealings with priests accused of sexual abuse.
Who chose the new pope?
Francis’ successor was selected in a conclave that began on May 7. Cardinals, known as the “princes of the church,” rank just below the pope in the Roman Catholic Church; together, they are known as the College of Cardinals. There are currently 252 cardinals. Only those under the age of 80 are eligible to vote, and there are 135 of them, the largest number in the church’s history. Pope Francis appointed about 80 percent of them.
When a pope dies or steps down — which is unusual — the college chooses a successor. The cardinals cast repeated votes until there is a two-thirds majority. After every vote, the ballot papers are burned in a stove, along with an additive that produces a color. The smoke is released through a chimney that can be seen from St. Peter’s Square, where crowds typically gather to watch and wait. If a vote ends without a two-thirds majority, the smoke is black. When a decision is reached, the smoke is white.
How long does it take to choose a new pope?
The length of papal conclaves has varied widely over the centuries. Since 1900, this has been the fifth pope to be elected in two days.
The longest conclave during that time took 14 ballots, lasted five days and produced Pope Pius XI in 1922. Francis was elected after two days of voting.
The shortest conclave, the election of Pope Pius XII in 1939, took three ballots. But it has not always been so quick: The conclave that ended with the election of Pope Gregory X on Sept. 1, 1271, took two years, nine months and two days.
What are the key issues in the Catholic Church?
The cardinals had to decide whether to choose a pope who would follow Francis’ path of openness and inclusion or pick a pontiff who would forge a different one. During his 12-year pontificate, Francis made landmark declarations that encouraged liberals, including allowing the blessing of people in same-sex unions and raising his voice for migrants.
The cardinals who elect the pope sometimes look as ideologically polarized as many secular voters around the globe. Many conservative Roman Catholic leaders disagreed with Francis.
But the typical divisions between progressives and conservatives don’t correspond so neatly with the ideological battles within the Vatican and the broader church. There are complex debates over the role of women and L.G.B.T.Q. Catholics in the church, whether priests should be allowed to marry, accountability for sexual abuse by clergy and other divisive questions.
Elisabetta Povoledo is a Times reporter based in Rome, covering Italy, the Vatican and the culture of the region. She has been a journalist for 35 years.
Jason Horowitz is the Rome bureau chief for The Times, covering Italy, the Vatican, Greece and other parts of Southern Europe.
Emma Bubola is a Times reporter based in Rome.
Motoko Rich is a reporter in Tokyo, leading coverage of Japan for The Times.
Elizabeth Dias is The Times’s national religion correspondent, covering faith, politics and values.
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