Robert Prevost was chosen to succeed Pope Francis, becoming the first American to ascend to the papacy in history.

The new pontiff was elected by cardinals meeting in the Vatican after around 24 hours of the secret conclave, as signaled by white smoke billowing out of a chimney atop the Sistine Chapel. Early Thursday afternoon, cardinals announced his identity from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.

Crowds shouted “Viva il Papa!” as Prevost, who has chosen the papal name Leo XIV, entered the balcony to make his remarks.

“May peace be with you all,” he said through translators with the EWTN Global Catholic Network. “God is close to you all [...] The pope always gives his blessing to the entire world. Now I want to be able to give that same blessing, because God loves you. God loves you all. We are all beloved of God.”

Prevost replaces Pope Francis, who died on Easter Monday. He will be the leader of the world’s estimated 1.4 billion Catholics.

Prevost acknowledged Francis’s legacy of inclusivity, emphasizing unity and urging dialogue. He called on Catholics to be “missionaries of the gospel,” especially to those who are suffering.

Prevost, 69, was made cardinal by Francis, who brought him to the Vatican in 2023 to lead the Dicastery for Bishops, the office that vets bishop nominations from around the world.

As the head of the Dicastery, he oversaw one of Francis’s most significant reforms: the addition of three women to the voting bloc. Prevost, like Francis, does not support the ordination of women as deacons.

A Chicago native, he acquired Peruvian citizenship in 2015, when he was appointed the bishop of Chiclayo in northwest Peru. He had previously lived in the country as a missionary for nearly 15 years, ending in 1998.

Senate President Sharon Carson and Senate Majority Leader Regina Birdsell expressed hope Thursday afternoon that the Conclave’s swift choice would unify the global church.

“It is truly an honor to see the first American out of 266 Popes sit on the chair of St. Peter,” they said in a joint statement. “I look forward to watching Pope Leo XIV as he begins to guide the Catholic Church.”

Material from Associated Press was used in this report.