Cardinal Robert Prevost has been elected as the first US-born pontiff and will be known as Pope Leo XIV. Leo made his first remarks as Pope from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica. The Pope is the head of the Catholic Church and leads approximately 1.4 billion Roman Catholics worldwide. Part of the Pope’s duties involve giving mass and holding regular appointments at the Vatican.

These include a weekly blessing for tourists and pilgrims every Sunday from the window of his private study overlooking St Peter’s Square. 

The Pope also leads the religious celebrations of all the major Catholic festivals of the year, including Christmas and Easter. At least once every five years, the Pope must meet with more than 5,000 bishops from around the world, which is approximately 1,000 per year, or 20 per week. The Pope also travels around the globe visiting churches and communities to offer blessings and meet believers. The Pope also meets world leaders. When a Pope is elected, he chooses a papal name as part of his new role. Robert Prevost, the new Pope, has chosen the papal name of Leo XIV. The letters “XIV” after his name represent the Roman numeral for 14, as he is the 14th Pope to choose the name Leo and the first in more than 100 years.