Pope Leo XIV.
That’s the name Cardinal Robert Prevost opted to take on Thursday after becoming the first American pope elected in the 2,000-year history of the Catholic Church.
The 69-year-old’s chosen name — an apparent nod to Saint Leo the Great — was unveiled just moments before the new pontiff appeared on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica to greet the tens of thousands of worshippers below.
For nearly 1,500 years, the leader of the Catholic Church has opted to change his name following his election.
While there are set rules that dictate how the pontiff can choose their papal name, many choose to stick with tradition and honor one of their many predecessors.
The last pope to take the name Leo came more than a century ago when Pope Leo XIII led the church from 1878 to 1903.
The first to use the name, Pope Leo the Great, led the church between 440 and 461.
The late Pope Francis, meanwhile, was among the leaders who opted to name himself after a saint — with his entry being the first in centuries to add a new name that had not previously appeared on the papal registry.
It wasn’t immediately clear how Pope Leo XIV reached his decision.
Originally from Chicago, the newly elected pontiff spent most of his career as a missionary in Peru and became a cardinal only in 2023.