The Vatican revealed the election of Pope Leo XIV, marking a historic moment as he becomes the first American to lead the Catholic Church. The announcement followed the traditional white smoke signaling from the Sistine Chapel on Thursday.

Cardinal Protodeacon Dominique Mamberti delivered the news of Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost’s election to the eager crowd gathered in St. Peter’s Square. This decision came after approximately 24 hours of deliberation by the 133 cardinals in the Sistine Chapel.

The 69-year-old Augustinian, Prevost, stepped out onto the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica adorned in the customary red papal cape. This contrasts with Pope Francis’s choice to forgo the cape when he was elected in 2013.

His first words as pope were “Peace be with you,” which he said in Italian, and delivered a message to the faithful building bridges, peace and dialogue “without fear.” Prevost then switched to Spanish to recall his years as a missionary and later archbishop of Chiclayo, Peru. He did not deliver any words in English.

Newly elected Pope Leo XIV, Cardinal Robert Prevost of the U.S., appears on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican on Thursday. (Guglielmo Mangiapane/Reuters)

Prevost succeeds the late Pope Francis, who died at age 88 on April 21 following health challenges.

Prevost, whose views are close to those that Francis held, thanked his predecessor in his remarks.

Newly elected Pope Leo XIV appears on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican on Thursday. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Francis brought Prevost to the Vatican in 2023 to serve as the powerful head of the office that vets bishop nominations from around the world, one of the most important jobs in the Catholic Church. As a result, Prevost had a prominence going into the conclave that few other cardinals have.

Prevost was born on Sept. 14, 1955, in Chicago. He is also a citizen of Peru, where he lived for years as a missionary and later as an archbishop.

He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from Villanova University in 1977 before taking his solemn vows and studying theology at the Catholic Theological Union of Chicago in 1982.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.