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(VATICAN CITY, ITALY) — Americans and world leaders are cheering for the new leader of the Catholic Church, Pope Leo XIV, whose name is Robert Francis Prevost.

The 69-year-old, who hails from Chicago, is the first pope from the United States.

President Donald Trump congratulated Pope Leo on social media, saying, “It is such an honor to realize that he is the first American Pope.”

“What excitement, and what a Great Honor for our Country,” Trump’s post continued. “I look forward to meeting Pope Leo XIV. It will be a very meaningful moment!”

Former President Joe Biden, a devout Catholic who has spoken about his warm relationship with Pope Francis, wrote on social media, “Habemus papam — May God bless Pope Leo XIV of Illinois. Jill and I congratulate him and wish him success.”

Former President Barack Obama said, “Michelle and I send our congratulations to a fellow Chicagoan, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV. This is a historic day for the United States, and we will pray for him as he begins the sacred work of leading the Catholic Church and setting an example for so many, regardless of faith.”

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a Catholic, said in a statement, “This is a moment of profound significance for the Catholic Church, offering renewed hope and continuity amid the 2025 Jubilee Year to over a billion faithful worldwide.”

“The United States looks forward to deepening our enduring relationship with the Holy See with the first American pontiff,” Rubio’s statement said.

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, also a Catholic, said, “All of us hope and pray for the success of His Holiness and his vision for the Church.”

“In his own words, Pope Leo XIV said, ‘We can be a missionary church, a church that builds bridges, that is always open to receive everyone,'” she said in a statement. “Let us thank God for His Holiness Pope Leo XIV and for this vision of unity.”

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson called Prevost’s selection “the greatest moment in the history of the greatest city,” telling ABC News Live that the new pope was “born in Chicago, educated in Chicago, came back and served this city.”

Johnson praised the new pope, saying he “recognizes and understands the value of immigration.” The last pope to be named Leo, Leo XIII in 1878, was known as the “Pope of Labor,” and Johnson called Chicago the most pro-worker city in America.

“Today is truly a remarkable day” for Chicago and the world, Johnson said.

World leaders are also offering their congratulations.

Italy’s prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, wrote on X, “I extend my most sincere wishes to Pope Leo XIV for the beginning of his pontificate.”

“In a time marked by conflicts and unrest, his words from the Loggia of Blessings are a powerful call for peace, fraternity, and responsibility,” Meloni wrote in Italian. “A spiritual legacy that follows in the path traced by Pope Francis, and which Italy regards with respect and hope.”

The prime minister of the United Kingdom, Keir Starmer, posted a statement to X that the election of Pope Leo XIV was a “profound moment of joy for Catholics in the United Kingdom.”

“Pope Leo is the first American Pope,” Starmer wrote. “This is a momentous moment.”

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum wrote on X that Prevost’s ascension to pope reaffirms “our humanistic commitment to promoting peace and prosperity in the world.”

Canada’s prime minister, Mark Carney, offered well wishes to Pope Leo XIV and described his election as a “historic moment for the Catholic community.”

“The white smoke rising above the Sistine Chapel signals the beginning of a new papacy – a moment of renewal, hope, and unity for more than a billion faithful worldwide,” Carney posted to X.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva congratulated Pope Leo XIV, writing on X that he hopes he continues the legacy of his predecessor, Pope Francis.

“We do not need wars, hatred, and intolerance,” Da Silva wrote in Portuguese. “We need more solidarity and more humanism. We need love for our neighbor, which is the foundation of Christ’s teachings.”

The Augustinian Catholic university Villanova University in Pennsylvania is also celebrating the pope, who earned a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics there in 1977.

“What a proud and extraordinary day for Villanova University and the global Church!” university president the Rev. Peter M. Donohue said in a message to the Villanova community.

“A new Pope brings fresh perspectives, renewed priorities and spiritual guidance, all of which can deepen our mission, strengthen our values and enrich our community,” Donohue said. “Known for his humility, gentle spirit, prudence and warmth, Pope Leo XIV’s leadership offers an opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to our educational mission, through an Augustinian lens, as we pursue intellectual and spiritual growth.”

As the war between Ukraine and Russia rages on, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on social media, “Congratulations to His Holiness Pope Leo XIV @Pontifex on his election to the See of Saint Peter and the beginning of his pontificate.”

“Ukraine deeply values the Holy See’s consistent position in upholding international law, condemning the Russian Federation’s military aggression against Ukraine, and protecting the rights of innocent civilians,” Zelenskyy said. “At this decisive moment for our country, we hope for the continued moral and spiritual support of the Vatican in Ukraine’s efforts to restore justice and achieve a lasting peace. I wish His Holiness Leo XIV wisdom, inspiration, and strength — both spiritual and physical — in carrying out his noble mission.”

Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a message, “Please accept my heartfelt congratulations on your election as Pope. I am confident that the constructive dialog and interaction established between Russia and the Vatican will continue to develop on the basis of the Christian values that unite us. I wish you, Your Holiness, success in fulfilling the high mission entrusted to you, as well as good health and well-being.”

Amid the Israel-Hamas war, Israeli President Isaac Herzog said, “I send you my warmest wishes from the Holy City of Jerusalem. We look forward to enhancing the relationship between Israel and the Holy See, and strengthening the friendship between Jews and Christians in the Holy Land and around the world.”

“May your papacy be one of building bridges and understanding between all faiths and peoples,” he continued. “May we see the immediate and safe return of the hostages still held in Gaza, and a new era of peace in our region and around the world.”

 

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(VATICAN CITY) — Pope Leo XIV’s first message to the world shortly after becoming the new pontiff focused on bringing more peace to the world and connections.

The new pope stood and admired the huge, cheering crowd after stepping out onto the balcony of St. Peter’s Basicala.

“This is the first greeting of the risen Christ. May the peace be with you,” Leo said in Italian, before taking a break amid cheers. “This is the peace of the risen Christ.”

The pope gave his regards for his predecessor, Pope Francis, who passed away on a day after Easter.

“Of course we preserve our prays for Pope Francis,” he said.

Leo spoke about the community going forward “hand and hand with God.” The pope stressed unity and community and encouraged followers to continue in Francis’ mission.

“We have to be a church that works together to build bridges and to keep our arms open, like this very piazza, welcoming,” he said.

Leo, who did missionary work in South America, paid tribute to the people of Peru and the citizens of Rome.

The new pope also thanked the cardinals who elected him as Francis’ successor before reciting the “Hail Mary” prayer.

ABC News’ Julia Jacobo contributed to this report.

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(VATICAN CITY) — The Catholic Church has a new pope.

American Cardinal Robert Prevost has been elected the 267th pontiff. He has chosen the name Leo XIV, a senior cardinal deacon announced.

The 69-year-old Chicago native is the first American pope and is seen as a diplomat in the church.

Following the death of Pope Francis on April 21, the 133 cardinals — the church’s highest-ranking clergy — gathered to elect a new pope for the Catholic Church in the secret conclave in Rome.

On Thursday afternoon local time, white smoke billowed from the stovetop chimney atop the Sistine Chapel and the bells of St. Peter’s Basilica rang out, signifying the cardinals had elected a new pope. The cardinals cast at least four ballots at the Vatican before a cardinal received at least two-thirds of the vote.

Over an hour after the white smoke emerged, the new pope, clad in his papal vestments, stepped out onto the balcony and greeted the world. Pope Leo delivered his first Apostolic Urbi et Orbi blessing — meaning to “the city and the world.”

His full authority and jurisdiction begins immediately upon his acceptance of the office, prior to the public announcement.

Significance of papal name

Leo is the fifth-most-popular name chosen by popes.

Leo XIII was a founding figure of the Catholic social justice tradition.

While popes aren’t obliged to change their name, every pontiff for the past 470 years has done so, usually choosing the name of a predecessor to both honor them and signal their intention to emulate his example. Pope Francis was a notable exception, choosing not the name of a former pope but that of St. Francis of Assisi, the 13th century cleric and patron saint of animals and the environment.

Seen as front-runner

Pope Leo started to emerge as a front-runner for the papacy in the days before the conclave began, according to Father James Martin, a papal contributor to ABC News.

He was the only U.S. cardinal on a short list of front-runners for pope, also known as “papabiles,” compiled in the aftermath of Pope Francis’ death by The Associated Press.

He received priestly ordination on June 19, 1982, after studying canon law at the Pontifical Saint Thomas Aquinas University, according to his bio on the Vatican Press website.

Francis brought Pope Leo to work at the Vatican after first appointing him in 2014 to serve as the bishop of Chiclayo, Peru. He has spent a majority of his time in Peru, where he has also worked as a teacher, missionary and parish priest.

In April 2020, Francis appointed him to be the apostolic administrator of the diocese of Callao, also in Peru, his profile said.

Since 2023, he has held the position at the Vatican as Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, in charge of vetting nominations for bishops around the world.

Pope Leo told Vatican News in October 2024 that a “bishop is not supposed to be a little prince sitting in his kingdom, but rather called authentically to be humble, to be close to the people he serves, to walk with them and to suffer with them.”

He also currently serves as the president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America.

In a 2023 interview with the Catholic News Service, he was asked how he responds to problems with bishops or dioceses — to which he said he reminds clergymen to reflect on their oath to “live and work in communion with the Holy Father.”

“The spirit of synodality includes a need and desire to listen to not only the bishop himself, but to many people in the diocese to see what’s the best way to promote authentic church in each and every diocese in the world,” he said at the time.

 

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(VATICAN CITY) — The temporary chimney atop the Sistine Chapel released a plume of white smoke on Thursday, signaling that the 133 cardinals working inside had reached a two-thirds majority to elect a new pope for the Catholic Church.

American cardinal Robert Prevost was announced as the choice to replace Pope Francis.

Bells at St. Peter’s Basilica rang and crowds cheered as the white smoke billowed from the chimney.

The new leader of the Catholic Church was chosen amid the third round of conclave voting.

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(LONDON) — India claimed on Thursday morning to have intercepted “drones and missiles” fired by Pakistan at a several military targets throughout northern and western India, saying the overnight attack amounted to a bid by Pakistan to “escalate” the conflict between the two countries.

India also said it targeted Pakistani sites, including a Pakistani air defense system at Lahore, which it said it destroyed.

“Today morning Indian Armed Forces targeted Air Defence Radars and systems at a number of locations in Pakistan,” the Indian Ministry of Defense said in a statement. “Indian response has been in the same domain with same intensity as Pakistan.”

India on Tuesday and Wednesday launched aerial attacks on Pakistan, about two weeks after a deadly terror attack in the disputed Kashmir region. India blamed Pakistan for that militant attack, the Pahalgam incident, which left 26 people dead in Indian-held Kashmir. Pakistan denied involvement.

At least 16 people have been killed in India, the defense ministry said on Thursday.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had convened on Thursday a meeting of his secretaries to discuss “national preparedness,” a high-level defense discussion that came as his Pakistani counterpart declared that Pakistan had “once again proven its superiority over its enemy.”

The Pakistani prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, on Thursday praised the actions of his country’s military over the last few days.

“I salute the heads of all three armed forces and every brave soldier,” Sharif said, according to his office. “The 240 million people of Pakistan are proud of their armed forces.”

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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(MOSCOW) — A failed Soviet-era spacecraft that became trapped in Earth’s orbit by mistake more than 50 years ago is expected to crash back down onto the planet in a matter of days, according to space experts.

Cosmos 482 was launched in 1972 as part of the Soviet Union’s Venera program, which intended to explore Venus, according to NASA.

The unmanned spacecraft experienced a successful initial launch on March 31, 1972, and temporarily orbited Earth.

However, it did not achieve sufficient velocity to launch into a Venus transfer trajectory, NASA said, and the payload — or the portion of the craft significantly related to the craft’s primary mission — was unable to exit Earth’s orbit.

Astronomers hypothesize that a malfunction on a timer caused the engine to burn prematurely, NASA said.

The spacecraft then broke into four pieces. Two of the pieces, which remained in low orbit, decayed within 48 hours. Orbital decay refers to an incremental decrease in altitude, gradually closing a craft’s distance to Earth, according to NASA.

The other two pieces — including the large lander probe — became stuck in Earth’s higher orbit. It has experienced orbital decay for decades, NASA said, and that decay has brought it close enough to reenter the planet’s atmosphere around May 10.

Because the probe was designed to withstand entry into Venus’ atmosphere — which is 90 times denser than Earth’s — it is possible that parts of it could survive reentry and continue onward to the planet’s surface, according to NASA.

The risk of Cosmos 482 striking people on the ground is low — but not impossible, Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, wrote on his website last month.

“No need for major concern, but you wouldn’t want it bashing you on the head,” McDowell wrote.

The lander probe is expected to reenter Earth’s atmosphere between Friday and Sunday, NASA said. The craft is about 3.2 feet across and weighs about 1,100 pounds.

As of Tuesday, the landing location was estimated to be anywhere between 52 N and 52 S latitude. This large swath contains the United States, as well as most of the continents on Earth.

The time and location of a return to Earth will likely be predicted more accurately as reentry nears, according to NASA.

Astronomers are increasingly monitoring space junk left near Earth during launches of satellites and other spacecraft. There are currently more than 1.2 million known pieces of space debris, 50,000 of which measure more than 4 inches across, according to a 2025 report by the European Space Agency.

“Even if we created no new space debris, it would not be enough to prevent a runaway series of collisions and fragmentations,” the ESA said in a statement.

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(VATICAN CITY) — The papal conclave, the secretive election process to elect the next leader of the Roman Catholic Church, commences on Wednesday, bringing cardinals from all over the world to select the 267th pope.

Since the death of Pope Francis on April 21, a total of 220 cardinals — the church’s highest-ranking clergy — have gathered in Rome to mourn the loss of the former pontiff and begin the secret conclave.

Overall, 133 cardinals will be voting during the conclave, the most electors ever, with 108 of them appointed by Pope Francis. All cardinals under the age of 80 are eligible to participate in the election process.

The majority of the cardinals are coming from Europe, including 17 electors from Italy, five from Spain and five from France. There are 16 cardinal electors from North America, including 10 from the United States. Additionally, there are four from Central America, 17 from South America, 18 from Africa, 23 from Asia and four from Oceania. Argentina, the home country of Francis, has four cardinal electors.

All 220 cardinals are expected to attend a mass at St. Peter’s Basilica on Wednesday morning at approximately 10 a.m. local time. The voting cardinals will then proceed to the Pauline Chapel and then process to the Sistine Chapel at approximately 4:30 p.m. local time, where the voting will take place.

All of the cardinal electors will take an oath of secrecy before beginning to vote twice daily, two times in the morning and two times in the evening. Voting will commence when the Master of Ceremony says “extra omnes” — or “everyone out” — at approximately 5 p.m. local time. The voting will continue until two-thirds of the cardinals have agreed on a pope.

The ballots are burned after each vote and the smoke will emanate from the chimney that was built on top of the Sistine Chapel. Black smoke signifies a decision has not been reached and the voting will continue, whereas white smoke will mean a new holy leader of the church has been confirmed.

A pope could be elected as soon as the first ballot, or the process could continue for days. Since 1831, no conclave has lasted for more than four days.

Up to four rounds of voting typically take place in a day. If no clear choice has emerged after three days, balloting is suspended for 24 hours to allow cardinal electors time to reflect. Another seven rounds of balloting then takes place, followed by another break, and so on.

If no pope is elected after 33 or 34 votes — generally about 13 days — then a new rule introduced by Pope Benedict XVI decrees the two leading candidates as determined by previous ballots will engage in a runoff vote. If the candidates are members of the conclave, they cannot vote in the runoff but are present for it. Whichever candidate receives the necessary two-thirds majority of the votes is the new pope.

Cardinal Jean-Paul Vesco, the archbishop of Algiers, told ABC News it would be “unexpected” if the conclave goes past Friday.

Similarly, the cardinal of Baghdad, Louis Raphael Sako, reportedly told journalists at the Vatican last week that he expects a “short conclave.”

“It will be a short conclave, two, three days,” Sako said, as quoted by Italy’s ANSA news agency.

When asked if he had an idea of who he would vote for to become the new pope, Sako replied, “I have a very clear idea but I cannot say it.”

Names of cardinals who appear to be front-runners for the papacy have been swirling since the death of Francis.

Any baptized Catholic male is eligible to take Francis’ place, but experts said Pietro Parolin, the cardinal secretary of state, and Luis Tagle, the archbishop of Manila in the Philippines, are the top contenders.

An American cardinal, Robert Prevost, has also started to emerge as a front-runner, according to Father James Martin, a papal contributor for ABC.

Overall, Martin said cardinals will be looking for “someone who is holy, someone who is a good evangelizer who can proclaim the gospel and someone who is a good manager.”

“Those three things are tough to find in one person,” Martin said Monday on ABC News Live.

During the conclave, recording technology of any kind is forbidden, with technicians checking to ensure there are no secretly installed bugs or other like devices inside the Sistine Chapel or adjacent areas. The cardinals’ cellphones will be taken away at the start of the conclave and will be returned to them after the election of the new pope.

ABC News’ Christopher Watson and Phoebe Natanson contributed to this report.

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(LONDON and DELHI) — More than 26 people were killed and dozens more were injured overnight in Pakistan by Indian aerial attacks, Pakistani officials said.

The Pakistani military said the assault amounted to a “blatant act of aggression,” a characterization disputed by an Indian official, who said it was a “measured, non-escalatory, proportionate and responsible.”

The strike, which followed Tuesday’s missile assault, came amid rising tension as India continued to blame Pakistan for a deadly attack in April in the disputed Kashmir region, a claim that Pakistan denies. That militant attack, known as the Pahalgam incident, left 26 people dead in Indian-held Kashmir.

Pakistani military officials on Tuesday had vowed to respond from the “air and ground.” Officials this morning repeated that warning, saying it “reserves the right to respond, in self-defense, at a time, place, and manner of its choosing.” A statement released by the Pakistan National Security Commitee after a meeting of the committee says “the Armed Forces of Pakistan have duly been authorized to undertake corresponding actions in this regard.”

The Indian Army confirmed New Delhi’s latest strikes on Wednesday, saying in a statement that its forces were “responding appropriately in a calibrated manner.”

Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said India’s strikes overnight amounted to a preemptive action, saying Pakistan did not take sufficient steps against “terrorist infrastructure on its territory or on territory under its control.”

Two military officials also described the attack, which they said involved nine locations and lasted about 25 minutes. The officials claim the targets were destroyed and that the Indian military is prepared to respond to what she characterizes as “Pakistani misadventures” that would “escalate the situation.”

Pakistan said the airstrikes hit numerous locations in Pakistan, not just in Pakistan-administered Kashmir. Pakistan also claimed that India hit a hydroelectric dam in Pakistan-administered Kashmir.

At least 46 people were injured in Pakistan, military spokesperson Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said in a press conference on Wednesday. The country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it had summoned India’s top diplomat in Pakistan.

The attack “constitutes a clear violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement, adding, “The Indian side was warned that such reckless behavior poses a serious threat to regional peace and stability.”

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

ABC News’ Meredith Deliso contributed to this report.

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(PAKISTAN) — India fired several missiles into Pakistan overnight on Tuesday, according to the Pakistani army, which said it has responded from the “air and ground.”

The attacks, labeled Operation Sindoor, targeted nine sites of “terrorist infrastructure” in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, according to the Indian Defense Ministry.

The Pakistani army said India attacked Kotli, Muzaffaabad and Bahawalpur. Three people were killed and 12 injured, the Pakistani army said.

Following the strikes, the Indian army said, “Justice is served.”

India has blamed Pakistan for a deadly attack in the disputed Kashmir region that occurred in April. The militant attack, known as the Pahalgam incident, left 26 people dead in Indian-held Kashmir.

Pakistan said in late April it had credible evidence India intended to carry out military action against Pakistan in the coming days, according to Pakistani Information Minister Attaullah Tarar.

ABC News’ Habibullah Khan contributed to this report.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

 

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(LONDON) — TThe Israeli military on Tuesday launched an attack on Yemen’s Sana’a International Airport and other civilian sites, claiming they were used by Houthi militants.

The strike came two days after a ballistic missile launched from Yemen by the Iran-backed Houthis landed near Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv, Israel.

The Israel Defense Forces said on Tuesday that the central Yemen airport “is used by the Houthi terrorist organization for the transfer of weapons and operatives, and is regularly operated by the Houthi regime for terrorist purposes.”

The airport strike led “to its complete shutdown,” the IDF said. Israel also targeted power stations and a concrete factory, which it accused the Houthis of using to build tunnels and military infrastructure.

“This is another example of the Houthi terrorist organization’s use of civilian infrastructure for terrorist operations,” an IDF spokesperson said in a statement.

Avichay Adraee, the Israel Defense Forces’ Arabic spokesperson, posted an evacuation warning on social media prior to the strike.

“We call upon you to evacuate the airport area — Sana’a International Airport — immediately and warn everyone in your vicinity of the need to evacuate this area immediately,” Adraee said. “Failure to evacuate and move away from the place exposes you to danger.”

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