The newly anointed Pope Leo XIV came to the balcony clad in a white cassock topped by a red cape trimmed in ermine and draped in a gold embroidered sash. He clasped his hands in prayer and smiled as the crowds chanted his name, and “ Viva La Papa! ”

Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost has become the first-ever American elected as the leader of the Catholic Church -- now known by his pontifical name of Pope Leo XIV. The 69-year-old, born on the Southside of Chicago, is seen as a diplomat of the church and was an important adviser to his predecessor, Pope Francis.

Multiple rounds of voting likely will be required before a candidate emerges with the two-thirds majority required to become the next pope.