Pope Leo XIV leads first mass after becoming American pontiff & risking Trump’s fury with anti-MAGA tweets
POPE Leo XIV is leading his first holy mass in the Sistine Chapel less than 24 hours after being elected.
Robert Prevost, 69, is the first ever American to helm the Catholic Church and is speaking to the cardinals who voted him in.
US President Donald Trump was among the first world leaders to congratulate Illinois native Prevost after he was elected.
In a post to TruthSocial, Trump marked the historic moment saying: "It is such an honor to realize that he is the first American Pope.
"What excitement, and what a Great Honor for our Country. I look forward to meeting Pope Leo XIV.
"It will be a very meaningful moment!"
America's Vice President JD Vance also showered praise on newly-elected Pope - despite the new pontiff slamming the VP and Trump's policies for years.
On Thursday evening, Leo XIV stepped out onto the red draped balcony in the Vatican in front of 15,000 Catholic faithful and spoke in Italian and Spanish, addressing the world.
Crowds in St Peter's Square erupted into chants of "Viva il Papa" and screams of happiness as the sacred Conclave ritual came to an end.
The Vatican's enormous bells rang to mark the end of the search for the successor to St Peter - and the beloved Pope Francis.
Most read in The Sun
Crowds in the Vatican waved flags and danced as the historic moment was broadcast around the world - set to marked from Spain to Tonga.
Leo secured at least 89 votes of the 133 cardinals participating in the secretive lock-in Conclave in order to be picked.
The successful vote for the new leader of the world's 1.4billion Catholics came after three rounds of voting which could not produce a result.
You can follow our live blog, below, for updates ...
Where does the smoke come in ...
Each day, three scrutineers are chosen by lot from their number, plus three infirmari who collect ballots from any cardinals too sick to come to the Sistine Chapel, and three revisers.
The ballot papers are counted and recounted before being threaded with a needle – piercing the word eligo – into a bundle. The papers are burned in a stove. If there is no result, chemicals are added to make the smoke black; if there is a successful candidate, the chemicals turn the smoke white.
The smoke travels through a flue that leads to a chimney installed on the roof. Vatican firefighters are on standby.
When white smoke emerges from the chimney, bells will also be rung, signalling to the crowds outside that habemus papam: we have a pope.
How does the voting system work?
Each cardinal will be allocated a desk – yes, just like the film – on which sits a pen and a pile of ballot papers with the words Eligo in summum pontificem (I elect as supreme pontiff) printed at the top.
They write their preferred name, fold the paper in half and place it in a bronze urn.
When will the first vote take place?
There are no speeches or debate inside the chapel. The first vote is expected to be taken on Wednesday afternoon.
Thereafter, four votes will be held each day until one candidate reaches a two-thirds majority.
All 133 cardinals in place
The Vatican has confirmed that all 133 cardinals expected to participate in the Conclave have arrived in Rome.
Cardinal William Seng Chye Goh takes a selfie with the faithful near St Peter's Square at the Vatican, ahead of the ConclaveCredit: Reuters Welcome to the Sun's Conclave 2025 live blog
Thanks for following us. We'll keep you updated here with all the latest news and best reaction as the cardinals prepare to vote for the next pontiff following the death of Pope Francis.
