American Cardinal Robert Prevost's first moments as Pope Leo XIV
Leo XIV has become the new pope. Shortly after being elected as the leader of the Church, the American returned to his apartment. Meanwhile, a video recording surfaced online showing him blessing his former neighbors.
Robert Prevost, a cardinal from the USA, succeeded Pope Francis and chose the name Leo XIV. He gave his first speech on Thursday evening.
Soon after, the American clergyman was recorded. The video shows what his meeting with his former neighbors looked like.
After the conclave, Leo XIV returned to his apartment in the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith building and blessed his former neighbors, according to a post on the Vatican News Facebook page.
The short video shows the reactions of Leo XIV's neighbors. A few people grabbed their phones to capture the historic moment.
Robert Prevost is the new pope
Robert Prevost was elected the new pope of the Catholic Church on May 8, 2025, taking the name Leo XIV. This is a historic event because Prevost is the first pope from the United States and the first representative of the Order of Saint Augustine to hold this position.
Robert Francis Prevost was born on September 14, 1955, in Chicago, Illinois, as the son of Louis Marius Prevost (of French-Italian descent) and Mildred Martínez (of Spanish descent).
In 1978, he joined the Order of Saint Augustine and was ordained a priest in 1982. He served as a missionary in Peru, where, since 2014, he has held the position of bishop of the Diocese of Chiclayo. In 2023, Pope Francis appointed him the prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, responsible for bishop appointments worldwide.
