Pope Leo XIV ElectedCEFR B1
16 May 2025
Adapted from Melissa Vida, Global Voices • CC BY 3.0
Photo by Cecilia Milagros León García, Unsplash
The Vatican announced on May 8 that, after three unsuccessful ballots in the conclave, Robert Francis Prevost had been elected pope and chose the name Pope Leo XIV. White smoke rose from the Sistine Chapel to signal the result. Pope Francis, Latin America’s first pope, served from 2013 until he died on April 21, 2025.
Pope Leo XIV is a US citizen by birth and a naturalized Peruvian. He was born in Chicago and began his clerical career there before being sent to Peru, where he served for nearly forty years in northern cities. In 2015 Pope Francis appointed him bishop of Chiclayo, and he also obtained Peruvian nationality that year.
At St. Peter’s Square he interrupted prepared remarks in Italian and spoke in Spanish to thank his former diocese. News and video from Chiclayo showed a strong emotional reaction and local joy at the announcement.
Difficult words
- conclave — private meeting where cardinals elect a pope
- ballot — a vote in an election or decision processballots
- naturalize — to become a legal citizen of a countrynaturalized
- clerical — relating to jobs of priests or church staff
- diocese — a church area led by a single bishop
- appoint — to choose someone for a position or jobappointed
- nationality — legal membership of a particular country
- interrupt — to stop someone while they are speakinginterrupted
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- How do you think people in Chiclayo reacted when they heard the news? Explain in two or three sentences.
- Why might the new pope have chosen to speak in Spanish instead of continuing in Italian? Give one or two reasons.
- What are some reasons a priest might become a citizen of another country? Describe briefly.
