Vatican City, May 9 (H.S.): The Vatican has elected Cardinal Robert Prevost as the new pope, marking him as the first American cardinal to hold this position in the Catholic Church. President Donald Trump called this election a significant honor for the United States. Prevost, who is now known as Pope Leo, succeeds the late Pope Francis after a voting process that required a two-thirds majority from the 133 voting cardinals.

As the 267th pope, Prevost, aged 69 and originally from Chicago, will soon appear on the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica to address the 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide. His extensive experience includes missionary work in South America and serving as a bishop in Peru, alongside recent leadership of a Vatican office responsible for bishop appointments. Prevost is anticipated to uphold the reforms started by Pope Francis.

The announcement was marked by the sight of white smoke rising from the Sistine Chapel, indicating a new pope’s selection. Born in 1955 in Chicago, Prevost has a background in mathematics and theology and studied canon law in Rome before becoming a priest in 1982. His election has set a precedent, as past cardinal electors have typically hesitated to choose an American due to concerns regarding America's global influence.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar