Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost has been elected the new pope, set to succeed the late Pope Francis and mark the first time an American has served as pope.

He took the name Leo XIV and emerged from the balcony of St. Peter’s Square to introduce himself, just over an hour after white smoke spilled from the Sistine Chapel to signal his election.

The selection of an American pope is a historic one that breaks the norms of the Catholic Church after the idea of an American was historically considered a longshot because cardinals typically pick leaders from non-superpower nations.

Prevost, 69, is from Chicago and has largely worked in Peru. He is an Augustinian friar and graduated from Villanova University in 1977.

The pope chose Prevost to be prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops and president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America in 2023. The role involves recommending candidates for bishops to the pope and overseeing the commission that studies the Catholic church in Latin America, according to the Catholic News Service.

Before he came out on the balcony, the Pontifical Swiss Guard lined up on the square while the crowd of spectators, celebrated, cheered and waved flags from around the world. Cardinal Dominique Mamberti first came out on the balcony to announce the new pope.