History was written yesterday with white smoke over the sky of Rome. The 133 cardinals who had the mission of electing the successor of Francis did so on the fourth ballot, the first of the afternoon. A quorum so quickly was not expected. The white smoke began to flow at 18:07 and caught by surprise the faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square, who burst with joy and began to run towards the center of the square to see the new Pope up close.
An hour later, the red curtains opened, and the cardinal protodeacon, the French Dominique Mamberti, made his appearance to pronounce the traditional Latin formula "Habemus papam" from the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica, which was being pointed at by thousands of mobile phones. Minutes later, the speculations around the multiple papabili of the baptized as the "most diverse conclave" were resolved: the new Pontiff is the American and Peruvian Robert Francis Prevost, who from yesterday will go down in history as León XIV.
At 69 years old, Prevost, an Augustinian missionary with extensive experience in Peru, is the first American Pope and the second Latin one. "Dear sisters and brothers. This is the first greeting of the resurrected Christ, the good shepherd who gave his life for God's flock. I also wish that this greeting of peace enters your hearts and reaches your families, all people everywhere, all peoples, all the earth. Peace be with you," were the first words pronounced in front of the faithful by the 267th Pontiff.
The successor of Francis made it clear from the very beginning that he will continue the line of the late Pope, whose last will was to offer the pain he suffered in his final days of illness for "peace and fraternity among peoples," as he expressed in his will. León XIV delivered a powerful message by repeating the word 'peace' at least a dozen times in his presentation speech to the world, which he had written, unlike his predecessors, but which he read with enthusiasm and emotion.
In a moment of geopolitical tensions, war, and polarization, Prevost invoked "a disarming, humble, and persevering peace" and, recalling the phrase often used by Francis, urged to "build bridges through dialogue and encounter, leading us all to be one people always in peace."
This conclave has been characterized by its unpredictability; there was no clear favorite, but several. From the first and even the second line. And their names had been circulating for days before the votes. With 133 electors from 70 countries, many did not know each other, but they had twelve congregations (meetings) before their seclusion, which began on Wednesday afternoon at the Santa Marta residence, to share their different visions about the future of the Church. Yesterday, the Curia showed a unity that had been doubted, and Prevost urged the cardinals to walk together "as a united Church, always seeking peace and justice, always seeking to work as men and women faithful to Jesus Christ, unafraid to proclaim the Gospel, to be missionaries."
The surprise came when León XIV began to speak in Spanish, the language of his predecessor, provoking applause from the tens of thousands of faithful and tourists listening to him, many of whom were Spanish speakers. "And if you allow me also a word, a greeting... to all those, in particular, to my dear diocese of Chiclayo in Peru." A country, he added, "where a faithful people have accompanied their bishop, have shared their faith, and have given so much to continue being a faithful Church of Jesus Christ."
If Francis turned the key to initiate reforms in the Church, it is expected that the American will finish opening the door since he is considered progressive. León XIV faces a complex Pontificate, full of great challenges for a Church losing followers, especially in Europe. Social issues related to homosexual individuals, the inclusion of women in the Church's structure, or the excommunication of divorced marriages will remain on the agenda. Prevost also inherits Francis's world, where armed conflicts continue active, and it is expected that he will exercise a silent leadership, as the Argentine did, to mediate or influence international tensions.
It will be interesting to see the relationship he develops with the president of his country, the unpredictable Donald Trump, who cares little about red lines and who recently posted an image of himself dressed as the Pope generated with Artificial Intelligence. Minutes after learning of the election of his compatriot as the new leader of 1.4 billion faithful, Trump wrote on his social media that "it is a great honor for the country that the first Pope is American", and said he was "looking forward to meeting León XIV." Tensions between the Republican and Pope Francis over their migration policies were constant.
The name chosen by Prevost is a direct reference to the Church's social doctrine and to the encyclical Rerum novarum ('Of new things' or 'Of political changes'), the thirty-eighth encyclical of Pope Leo XIII published in 1891 and the first social encyclical of the Catholic Church addressed to all bishops and academics, which dealt with the conditions of the working classes, as reported in a press conference by the director of the Holy See Press Office, Matteo Bruni. "It is not a coincidence, it is a reference to the work of men and women in the times of Artificial Intelligence," explained Bruni.
After a quick conclave and the election of a Pope profile that was expected - considering that Francis appointed 80% of the elector cardinals - this Saturday Rome will begin to regain its rhythm. At 11:00, the cardinals will celebrate a mass in the Sistine Chapel that will be broadcast live. On Sunday afternoon, the Eucharist will be in St. Peter's, and on Monday, the new Pope will have a meeting with the thousands of journalists who have been in Rome witnessing History, from Francis's funeral to learning the name of León XIV.