Watch: Pope Leo XIV Meets, Embraces Cardinals After Landmark Election
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Cardinal Robert Prevost became the first American to lead the Roman Catholic Church.
In 1982, at the age of 27, Robert Prevost was ordained a priest. (Photo Credits: X)
Cardinal Robert Prevost of Chicago was elected as the 267th pope of the Roman Catholic Church, with the name Leo XIV. He is the first American to hold the position.
Following the passing of Pope Francis, the 69-year-old American, chosen by 133 cardinals, becomes Pope Leo, who will lead the 1.4 billion-strong Catholic community worldwide.
A video of Pope Leo XIV embracing each of the 133 cardinals part of the conclave that elected him was made public by Vatican News shortly after the announcement.
In the video, the recently elected pope kneels in solitary contemplation at a prie-dieu and offers a prayer from the altar in the Sistine Chapel. In a show of humility and appreciation, he then extends a cordial greeting to the cardinals, shaking hands and smiling.
Watch the video here:
On the second day of the conclave, Leo XIV was elected, demonstrating the College of Cardinals’ strong agreement. He rose steadily through the ranks of the Church, first as a leader in the Augustinian Order and then as a major appointee of the late Pope Francis, before becoming pope.
Before being promoted to bishop, Prevost had been appointed an administrator in the Diocese of Chicago, where he was instrumental in implementing many of Francis’ most revolutionary changes.
Prevost became the fourteenth pope to take the name Leo.
During the Industrial Revolution, his namesake, Leo XIII, was known for his seminal encyclical Rerum Novarum, which was published in 1891 and addressed economic fairness and workers’ rights.
It is anticipated that on Friday morning, Pope Leo XIV will celebrate Mass at the Sistine Chapel. In addition, he will give his first public blessing from St. Peter’s Basilica’s loggia on Sunday at noon (May 11).
Some Facts About The New Pope
– Pope Leo XIV is the first American-born pontiff to be elected.
– Robert Francis Prevost was born in Chicago, Illinois, in 1955. His early years were influenced by a strong Catholic background in one of the most varied cities in the country.
– In 1982, at the age of 27, he was ordained a priest.
– Prevost served as a missionary in Peru for nearly two decades. He first worked as a parish priest and then as a teacher before becoming a bishop.
– Leo XIV got a degree in canon law from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome.
– Until recently, he oversaw the Vatican’s institution in charge of appointing and supervising bishops around the world—a strong and prominent position inside the Church.
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