The Conclave has elected Robert Prevost as the new Pope to lead the Catholic Church.
He is the first American Pontiff in history.
His Papal name is Pope Leo the 14th. He is 69 years old born in Chicago. And a graduate of Villanova University.
He served as a missionary in Peru at the start of his career and then, moved to leadership positions in the Vatican.
His Coronation will take place in the coming days.
133 Cardinal Electors have been sequestered inside the Sistine Chapel since Wednesday to decide who should succeed Pope Francis.
Thousands of people gathered in Saint Peter’s Square to get a glimpse of the new Pontiff.
President Donald Trump reacting just hours ago to the news.
Trump spoke briefly with reporters on the White House lawn just after the announcement was made.
He told reporters that plans are already being made for him to meet with the new Pope in the near future.
“What greater honor could there be? And we were a little bit surprised but very happy. It’s just a great absolutely great honor.”
Students from Bishop McCort Catholic Academy watching as the new Pope was announced today as they and local Catholic officials share excitement.
Our Brock Owens spoke with some of those local Catholics about their reaction and hopes for the new Pope.
Pope Leo the 14th is now the head of the Catholic Church as he takes his spot in Vatican City.
The first American Pope ever and first native English Speaking Pope of our lifetime makes local Catholics excited for the new Pope.
“It makes this reality so much closer to home than we ever could have imagined. I don’t think it was in anyone’s wildest dreams to have a pope from North American.”
Some have hopes of building on core faith values.
“I hope he tries to be more traditional because we’ve been a bit more progressive as of late and I’m wondering if a more traditional Pope would serve the Catholic Church better at this time.”
And other Catholics look for American ways to come with the new Pope.
“I think it’ll be cool to just see how he incorporates American views and exposes the rest of the World to what we believe more.”
“Maybe this Pope from America could also be really connected with us and travel back to America, come back to Italy, and really just connect with both of us.”
A local Catholic Officials says building that connection may be helped by Leo the 14th.
“While yes he’s fluent in Spanish and Italian and these other languages, to have a native English speaker, it’s my hope that he’ll be able to communicate many things to us in a clearer way than necessarily some of our previous Pope’s, not because they weren’t brilliant and amazing, but simply because he’s speaking our language.”
He says right now the main goal though is seeing how the new Pope will operate.
“We’re just really looking forward to meeting him, to hearing from him and what he’s going to say, how he’s going to say so many of the universal truths of the church in ways that speak to us now in the 21st century and helping to figure out what that will mean going forward.”