DOWNLOAD THE FREE LiSTNR APP
The 69-year-old Chicago native is the first American pope and is seen as a diplomat in the church.
Image: ABC News

What do we know about the new Pope Leo XIV?

White smoke has this morning billowed out from the Sistine Chappel, with 69-year-old Robert Prevost now stepping into Pope Francis’ shoes, becoming the 267th Pope.  

He is the first American to be appointed to the role, and will be known as Pope Leo the 14th. 

Stay up-to-date on the latest news with The National Briefing:

What else do we know about Pope Leo?

Pope Leo was born in Chicago to parents of French, Italian and Spanish decent.  
 
As a child, he served as an altar boy and studied theology in the US before being sent to Rome, where he was ordained as a priest when he was 27. 

Shortly after he moved to Peru where he spent a long time as a parish pastor, missionary and teacher at a seminary.

RELATED:   "We Defended Like Shit": Caleb Serong's Honest Review Of Fremantle's Loss To St Kilda

He was known for working closely with marginalised communities.  

In 2015, he was made a bishop of Peru, promoted to archbishop in 2023 and made a cardinal in 2024.  

In his first words as Pope this morning, he spoke fondly of Francis. He is thought to be someone who will continue in his footsteps, with similar views on migrants, poverty and environment.
 
We’ve also heard from a bunch of world leaders who have already sent through their congrats, including Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy, France’s Emmanuel Macron and Russia’s Vladmir Putin.  

Subscribe to The Briefing, Australia’s fastest-growing news podcast on Listnr today. The Briefing serves up the latest news headlines and a deep dive into a topic affecting you. All in under 20 minutes.