The Catholic Church has a new pope, and he’s the first American to hold the role. White smoke appeared around 10 a.m. MDT on Thursday, signaling that the 133 cardinals sequestered in the Sistine Chapel had chosen Pope Francis’ successor.

Cardinal Robert Prevost of Chicago will succeed Pope Francis as the leader of the Catholic Church. Prevost, the first American pope in history, will go by Leo XIV. Here's a look at the scenes across Rome and nearby countries after white smoke poured from the chimney.

Cardinals chose a new pope to lead the world's 1.4 billion Catholics on Thursday, sending up white smoke from the Sistine Chapel on their second day of voting in conclave. Sworn to secrecy, on pain of excommunication,

I don’t think he is going to go, pull the church hard left,” Prevost also said. “I think he’s going to be down the middle.”

"I hope to be able to respond to [the challenges] with a healthy dialogue," said Cardinal Robert Prevost in 2023.

Watch video of the moment Cardinal Protodeacon Dominique Mamberti announced that the Cardinals had elected Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost as the new Pope.

The elevation of Chicago-born Cardinal Robert Prevost to pope earlier this month has been a point of pride for Chicagoland parishes, including in the north suburbs of Morton Grove, Park Ridge,

Catholics around the world have a new face of leadership as Pope Leo XIV takes the reins from the late Pope Francis. Monday night, Erie’s Catholic community came together for a special mass