The election took place quickly, just 2 days after the rosy weekend in the Vatican.
On the evening of May 8, Rome time, tens of thousands of believers at St. Petersburg Square. Peter witnessed the historic moment: From the balcony of the Holy Palace, the new Popes Leo XIV appeared, opening the speech with a simple but profound message.
Peace be with brothers and sisters - the new popist said, sending the first greeting of the Resurrection, and at the same time expressed his hope that the message of peace will spread to every heart, every home in the family.
That first statement is the greeting of a popes who came from a unique journey - born in Chicago (USA), was a missionary in Peru and had a ministrieship associated with the poor and indigenous people in Latin America.
Mr. Robert Francis Prevost, 69 years old, served for a decade in Trujillo diocese, Peru, before becoming Abbot of Chiclayo.
He was beatified by the late Cardinal Francis in 2023, and appointed as the head of the cardinalery - a powerful agency in the Vatican specializing in supervising and nominating priests around the world. That role made him one of the strong candidates for the cardinal position in this meeting.
The Red Doctor's recommendation this time is to gather 133 cardinal doctors of voters, one of whom needs at least 89 votes to be elected papal. After only 2 days and a few voting rounds, Hong y Prevost has achieved the required number of votes.
Previously, Argentina's Pope Francis passed away on April 21 at the age of 88, just one day after officiating the Christmas season. He was the first Pope from Latin America and the first convert to the throne. His passing left a big gap in the hearts of believers and opened a moment of transition with profound symbolic meaning.
The fact that an American became a popor for the first time in history is not only a remarkable milestone for the Church but also attracts special attention in terms of diplomacy and geopolitics.
Faced with the wave of global conflict and division, King Leo XIV is expected to be a bridge to promote peace, continue the legacy of his predecessors and bring the spirit of dialogue and support of the Church closer to the modern world.
