Former Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost of the United States was selected Thursday by the papal conclave to succeed Pope Francis and lead the Roman Catholic Church. The new pontiff, who has taken the name Leo XIV,

Prevost, 69, was considered a contender for the papacy but was largely overlooked by many bettors and experts in favor of other cardinals, including Pietro Parolin and Luis Antonio Tagle.

Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost of the United States has been elected as the pope of the Catholic Church, taking the name Leo XIV.