Editor's note: The new pope is an American, Robert Francis Prevost, who has taken the name Leo XIV. Stay tuned to PJ Media for in-depth coverage of the new pontiff.
🚨BREAKING NEWS: Cardinal Robert F. Prevost elected pope!
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) May 8, 2025
This is the first American pope in history! pic.twitter.com/Lrx8KL5Gjl
Original story:
White smoke billowed out of the world’s most famous chimney Thursday as the college of cardinals elected a new pope.
The new pontiff will soon emerge, and his new papal name will be announced. The historic occasion holds the eyes of the world.
WHITE SMOKE!
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) May 8, 2025
A pope has been chosen! pic.twitter.com/Nn5wj6n1Su
While progressives favored the late Pope Francis’s protégés, like Pietro Parolin of Italy (Francis’s right hand at the Vatican) and Luis Antonio Tagle of the Philippines, conservatives hoped for a more traditional pope, like Robert Sarah of Guinea.
While many tried to claim that Francis was a reformer and an empathetic pastor, the reality is that he prioritized leftist politics over biblical theology and doctrine, fractured the Church, scandalized even non-Catholics, and seriously offended Israeli Jews.
The conclave only began on Wednesday, making it a short conclave, with only two days of voting and deliberation from the cardinals, most of whom were appointed by the late Pope Francis.
Catholics and even many non-Catholics await the name of the new pope, as the white smoke is greeted by a cheering crowd in St. Peter’s Square.
"There was a deep sense that in Pope Benedict, they had an ally, particularly for the old Latin Mass,” stated university religion professor Sarah Riccardi-Swartz. “And with Pope Francis, that seemed to go away. That was a point of not just contention but real sorrow for a lot of traditionalists."
The next pope inherits a church facing many crises, both internal and external, political and religious, including a dearth of vocations, the ongoing sex abuse scandal, doctrinal splits within the church, multiple global wars, and heavy persecution of Christians in numerous countries. Hopefully, he will be a holy and wise man capable of handling all of these serious challenges.
This is a developing story and will be updated when we learn the name of the new pope.
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