As tradition dictates, the 133 cardinals gathered in Casa de Santa Marta, isolated from the outside world with no phones or news. Despite the typical four daily votes, the conclave wrapped up unusually quickly.
Once Prevost accepted, he appeared at the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, greeted by the iconic announcement: “Habemus papam” (“We have a Pope”). Now known as Pope Leo XIV, he is “moderately aligned with 21st-century Catholic values,” signaling a new chapter for the Vatican.
