New Pope Calls for Building Bridges to Achieve Peace for All

At the Sistine Chapel, white smoke unexpectedly appeared in the evening of the 8th local time, causing traffic in Rome to jam instantly as 100,000 people flocked to St. Peter's Square to witness the historic moment. Many initially expected a popular candidate to emerge, but when the name 'Preivest' was announced, many were left open-mouthed, scrambling to search on their phones 'who he is.'

69-year-old Preivest was not included in the top five candidates named by most Italian or English media. This election took only two days, making it the shortest conclave in recent decades.

After the white smoke symbolizing the selection of the pope appeared, at 7:12 PM, the chief cardinal of deacons announced on the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica, 'We have a pope!' and read out the new pope's birth name and chosen papal name.

The new pope appeared on the balcony at 7:23 PM, addressing the crowd in the square and the world for the first time.

Pope Leo XIV outlined his vision for the Catholic Church—to 'build bridges' and engage in dialogue.

He called on everyone to work together to become 'a church of building bridges and dialogue,' to 'show our mercy to others,' and to 'dialogue with love.'

Leo XIV mentioned former Pope Francis, saying, 'The faint but always courageous voice of Pope Francis still echoes in our ears, blessing us.'

To the cheering crowd, he said, 'Let us walk with God and move forward together.'

Leo XIV was born in Chicago and is affiliated with the Augustinian order, spending only one-third of his life in the United States, with most of the remaining time in Europe and Latin America. He can speak English, Spanish, Italian, French, and Portuguese, and can read Latin and German. His language skills enable him to communicate with cardinals worldwide.

Despite his fluency in languages, Leo XIV is usually reserved, and his speeches are cautious and well-considered.

The BBC reports that Preivest is the first pope in history from the United States, although due to his long mission work in Peru and his role as archbishop there, he is also regarded as a cardinal with a Latin American background.

Born in Chicago in 1955, Preivest served as an altar boy since childhood and was ordained a priest in 1982. Three years later, he went to Peru and continued to return to the U.S. regularly to serve as a parish priest and monastery superior.

He holds Peruvian citizenship, and locals fondly remember him as a pastor who cared for vulnerable groups and committed to church unity.

He served as a parish priest and seminary teacher in Trujillo, northwestern Peru, for ten years.

A year after Pope Francis took office, he was appointed by Francis as the bishop of Chiclayo, Peru. He is well-known among Latin American cardinals, especially due to his high-profile role as Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops.

As 80% of the cardinals participating in the conclave were appointed by Francis, Preivest's election is not surprising.

He is seen as a successor to Francis' reformist path.

Although he is American and likely sensitive to internal church divisions, his Latin American background represents a continuity with Francis, who is from Argentina.

Despite being unavoidably associated with sexual abuse scandals within the church during his tenure as archbishop in Peru, his diocese staunchly denies any involvement or cover-up by him.