Robert Francis Prevost becomes Pope Leo XIV as cardinals elect first US pontiff

Leo says evil will not prevail' as he addresses crowd of 100,000 pilgrims and tourists in St Peter's Square

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Robert Prevost, the first US cleric to lead the Roman Catholic church, has said evil will not prevail" as he addressed a crowd of 100,000 pilgrims and tourists in his first speech as Pope Leo XIV from the central balcony of St Peter's Basilica.

The stunning election on Thursday of Prevost, who is 69 years old, as the church's 267th pontiff, ended the Vatican's longstanding opposition to the idea of a pontiff from the US.