Shortly after 6 p.m. in Rome, the longed-for sight appeared above the Sistine Chapel: white smoke.
Over the course of a day and a half, the more than 130 members of the College of Cardinals had come to a decision on who should lead the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics. On Thursday, they elected Cardinal Robert Prevost, who chose the name Leo XIV � becoming the first pope from the United States.
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