Pope Francis stepped down after a long period of ill health, leaving the Catholic Church to select a new leader. In a surprising turn of events, the conclave of cardinals chose Cardinal Robert Prevost,

Robert Prevost, a missionary who spent his career ministering in Peru and leads the Vatican's powerful office of bishops, was elected the first American pope in the 2,000-year history of the Catholic Church.

The conclave has elected Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, an American-born cleric, as the new popeNow the 267th pontiff, he will be known as Pope Leo XIV as he assumes the mantle of spiritual leadership over more than 1.