Overview

• Robert Francis Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, is the first American to lead the Catholic Church, elected after a two-day conclave of 133 cardinals.
• One of his first acts as pope was declaring a 'global climate emergency,' urging world leaders and fossil fuel companies to prioritize clean energy investments.
• He has reaffirmed Laudato Si’ as the guiding framework for his environmental agenda, linking care for creation with care for the poor.
• The Vatican has expanded solar energy use, introduced the first all-electric Popemobile, and committed to achieving carbon neutrality.
• U.S. President Donald Trump praised Leo XIV’s election as a 'great honor' for the United States, highlighting the global attention on his historic papacy.