Vatican City, May 8 -- Chicago-born Cardinal Robert Prevost, 69, was elected as the new Pope -- becoming the first pope ever from the United States. Prevost chose Leo XIV as his papal name.
The cardinal electors of the Catholic Church elected an American from among their own ranks on Thursday to serve as the new pope.
He will serve as the next Bishop of Rome, leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics.
The new pontiff's identity was revealed about an hour after white smoke emerged from the chimney above the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican, signaling that a new pope has been chosen with a decisive vote by the cardinal electors gathered for the papal conclave.
After about an hour, the declaration was made from the balcony of St. Peter's...