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Pope Leo XIV greeted the public for the first time from the main balcony of St. Peter's Basilica. Alberto Pizzoli/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
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Alberto Pizzoli/AFP via Getty Images
About 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide will have a new spiritual leader: Pope Leo XIV.
The election of Robert Frances Prevost, who chose the name Leo XIV, as the 267th leader of the Roman Catholic Church marks two historic firsts.. Leo is be the first-ever U.S.-born pope to lead the church and the first pope from the Augustinian order.
On Thursday, the new pope appeared on the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica and delivered a short speech. His opening words were, "Peace be with all of you!"
The 69-year-old pontiff added that he wanted his message of peace to "enter your hearts, reach your families and all people, wherever they are." During his address, he spoke in Italian, Spanish and Latin.
The new pope thanked his fellow cardinals for selecting him. He also expressed gratitude to his former diocese in Peru and spoke warmly of Pope Francis, his late predecessor, before ending his remarks with a prayer.
Leo is known to share some of the same priorities as Francis, particularly when it comes to the environment and outreach to migrants and the poor, according to The College of Cardinals Report, a resource created by a team of Vatican journalists.
The new pope was born in Chicago in 1955, according to Vatican News. His father is of French and Italian descent, while his mother is of Spanish descent.
Leo studied at the Minor Seminary of the Augustinian Fathers. He went on to attend Villanova University in Pennsylvania, where he received a degree in mathematics. He later pursued his theological education at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago.
Although the new pontiff is American, one of the most significant chapters of his ministry took place in Peru. Prevost served there for roughly two decades. Pope Francis appointed him as Bishop of Chiclayo in 2014 and he became a cardinal last year.
