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Papal Conclave elects American Robert Prevost as new pope.

Robert Prevost has been elected as the first American pope and has taken the name Leo XIV.

After two days of voting, white smoke billowing from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel indicates that a new leader of the Catholic Church has been elected.

The conclave has chosen American-born Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost to be the next pope, who will be known as Pope Leo XIV.

One hundred thirty-three (133) red-robed cardinals worldwide cast their ballots to elect the new pontiff.

During the papal conclave, the cardinals were prohibited from leaving or having any contact with the outside world while they chose the next leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics.

Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost of the United States has been elected the 267th pope and has stepped onto the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica as the new leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics.

He’s now known as Pope Leo XIV.

Prevost, 69, from Chicago, Illinois, is the first ever pope from the United States.

Cardinals took two days to select a new pontiff, matching the timeline from the previous two gatherings and suggesting that Prevost quickly impressed his peers during the secretive process.

Francis and Benedict XVI were revealed on the evening of the second day of the conclave, while John Paul II, the longest-reigning pope of modern times, was selected on the third day in 1978.