Catholic cardinals broke with tradition Thursday and elected the first U.S. pope, making Chicago-born missionary Robert Prevost the 267th pontiff to lead the Catholic Church in a moment of global turmoil and conflict.

I met the man who would become Pope Leo XIV in October 2023. We were standing outside the Vatican’s Synod Hall, and from my short conversation with Cardinal Robert Prevost, I could tell he was a good listener,

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.