By A Correspondent

Vatican City – In a historic moment on Thursday, the Roman Catholic Church joyfully announced the election of its new spiritual leader: Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, who has taken the name Pope Leo XIV.

The announcement was made from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica by Cardinal Protodeacon Dominique Mamberti, who proclaimed in the traditional Latin formula:

“Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum; habemus Papam: Eminentissimum ac Reverendissimum Dominum, Dominum Robertum Franciscum, Sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae Cardinalem Prevost, qui sibi nomen imposuit Leo Quartus Decimus.”

Translated: “I announce to you a great joy; we have a Pope: The Most Eminent and Most Reverend Lord, Robert Francis, Cardinal of the Holy Roman Church Prevost, who has taken the name Leo the Fourteenth.”

Cardinal Prevost, originally from the United States and long admired for his pastoral sensitivity and commitment to justice and unity, becomes the 267th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church.

In his first address as Pope Leo XIV, he spoke briefly but warmly to the faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square:
“Dear brothers and sisters, I am humbled by the trust placed in me. Let us walk together in faith, peace, and love, guided by the light of Christ.”

As bells rang across Rome and beyond, Catholics around the world welcomed the new pontiff, anticipating a papacy marked by compassion, reform, and renewed spiritual vigor.

Pope Leo XIV succeeds Pope Francis, and his election signals both continuity and a fresh chapter for the global Church.