Catholic Church introduces first-ever American pope

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Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, the newly elected pope. Associated Press / Photo by Riccardo De Luca, File

Catholic Church introduces first-ever American pope

UPDATE: Thursday, May 8
1:19 p.m. ET

The new pope has been identified as Cardinal Robert Prevost, an American. This makes him the first American pontiff in the history of the Roman Catholic Church. He has taken the name Pope Leo XIV, according to the Vatican.

Original story:

White smoke poured from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican Thursday morning, the Vatican’s news service said on social media. The smoke emerged just after 6 p.m. local time, with bells tolling at St. Peter’s Basilica. White smoke, as opposed to black smoke, signaled the election of a new pope a little over two weeks after the death of Pope Francis. The new pope was expected to soon appear from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica.

What is the process for choosing a new pope? A group of 133 cardinals was sequestered in the Sistine Chapel for the process. The conclave needed a two-thirds majority to reach a decision. While the Pope leads over a billion members of the Catholic Church, he also is viewed by many secular powers as a globe-trotting diplomat and influencer.

So who is the new pope? The identity of the new pope has not yet been announced, but he is expected to make an appearance on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica. From there, he will likely impart a blessing. There is no set time for this appearance, but the Associated Press noted that, in 2013, Pope Francis’ first appearance was one hour and 20 minutes after the white smoke appeared.

Dig deeper: Read Lauren Canterberry’s report on the death of Pope Francis.