After two days of the Papal Conclave process, Chicago-born Cardinal Robert Prevost emerged from the Sistine Chapel as the new Pope. This marks him as the first American man to become the Pope.

Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, is a Chicago native with Peruvian nationality. Prevost was ordained as a priest for the Order of Saint Augustine in 1982, and spent the years that followed with service work both in the United States and Peru. It wasn’t until 2023 when Prevost was appointed as Cardinal by the late Pope Francis.

The Vatican described Prevost as the second man from the Americas to win the papacy, as Pope Francis was born in Argentina. Despite being born in Chicago, Prevost spent most of his career serving the Catholics of Chiclayo, Peru.

Aidan Dove, a Michigan resident, had different expectations for who the next Pope would be. “Nope, not even remotely,” said Dove when asked if he expected Prevost to be elected. “I had my eyes set on Pizzaballa and Burke.”

Despite the expectations, Dove remains joyful for Prevost’s papacy. “I think he will be a refreshing change back to tradition,” said Dove, “but not so far that people would be anxious about him being labelled ‘traditionalist.’ A nice balance of tradition and moving forward.”

After emerging from the Sistine Chapel, Pope Leo XIV gave a speech in both Spanish and Italian. “Peace be with you all!” were the first words spoken by the new Pope to the crowd gathered around the central loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica.

Chicago-born English teacher Bryan Boyle, held high regards for Pope Leo XIV. “I see him as someone that’s in the mold of Francis, where he is a servant leader instead of just a leader,” said Boyle. “His first priority is to serve the poorest of the poor.”