New History At The Vatican, United States Has Pope Leo XIV's First Pope

JAKARTA - The Vatican's Holy Throne has announced that Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost was elected a new pope on Thursday, May 8, a replacement for Pope Francis who died. With his new position, this man from the United States was named Pope Leo XIV.

Pope Leo XIV or Robert Prevost was born in Chicago on September 14, 1955. He completed his secondary education at the minor seminary of the Stgulin Ordo in 1973.

Prevost earned a Bachelor of Science in mathematics at Villanova University in 1977. After deciding to become a pastor, Prevost joined Ordo St. In September 1977.

He pronounced his first caul to the order in September 1978 and his solemn caul in August 1981. The following year, he was awarded the Master's Office of the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. Robert Francis Prevost or Pope Leo XIV is also the first pope from the United States.

White smoke billowing from the Chapel of Sistina Chapel indicates that a whale has been elected to lead the Catholic Church on Thursday (8/5/2025). The Vatican's Holy See will soon announce who the new pope will be elected from the balcony of St. Peter's Square.

That means the winner gets at least 89 votes out of 133 cardinals who participate in the conclave to choose a replacement for Pope Francis. The crowd in St. Peter's Square cheered.

The name will be announced later, when a prominent cardinal pronounces the words "Habemus papam!" Latin for "We have a whale!" from the loggia of St. Peter's Basilica. The cardinal then read out the winner's birth name in Latin, and disclosed the name he had chosen. The new whale was then expected to appear first in public and give blessings from the same loggia.

Minutes before white smoke appeared, a small hornbill appeared near the Sistina Chapel. Beside the young bird there were two larger birds, as if they were a family. Right when the mother fed the bird cub, theren started to emit smoke.

The older cardinals who did not participate in the conclave rushed out to St. Peter's Square. These cardinals lined up as the military band played the Italian national anthem and the Holy Throne.

Moments after white smoke rose from the Sistina Chapel, the bells began to roll in Spain. The towering Sagrada Familia Basilica in Barcelona and the Almudena Cathedral in Madrid, across the royal palace, also rang a bell as a sign that a new whale had been selected.

And down there, in the midst of cheers in the crowd of people in St. Peter's Square, the priests made crosses and actresses cry seeing white smoke rising into the sky. Crowds cheered for joy in St. Peter's Square

Some people looked very moved, others were happy. They applauded and waved the national flag and took photos with their cell phones. 'Viva il papa!' shouted some people welcoming the election of a new whale.