What are Pope Leo's views?
Early attention will focus on Leo XIV's pronouncements to see whether he will continue his predecessor's reforms in the Roman Catholic Church.
Prevost is believed to have shared Francis' views on migrants, the poor and the environment.
A former roommate of his, Reverend John Lydon, described Prevost to the BBC as "outgoing", "down to earth" and "very concerned with the poor".
On his personal background, Prevost told Italian network Rai before his election that he grew up in a family of immigrants.
"I was born in the United States... But my grandparents were all immigrants, French, Spanish... I was raised in a very Catholic family, both of my parents were very engaged in the parish," he said.
Although Prevost was born in the US, the Vatican described him as the second pope from the Americas (Francis was from Argentina).
During his time in Peru, he was unable to escape the sexual abuse scandals that have clouded the Church, even though his diocese has fervently denied he has been involved in any attempted cover-up.
In choosing the name Leo, Prevost has signified a commitment to dynamic social issues, according to experts.
The first pontiff to use the name Leo, whose papacy ended in 461, met Attila the Hun and persuaded him not to attack Rome. The last Pope Leo led the Church from 1878 to 1903 and wrote an influential treatise on workers' rights.
Former Archbishop of Boston Seán Patrick O'Malley wrote on his blog that the new pontiff "has chosen a name widely associated with the social justice legacy of Pope Leo XIII, who was pontiff at a time of epic upheaval in the world, the time of the industrial revolution, the beginning of Marxism, and widespread immigration".
The new Pope's LGBT views are unclear, but some groups, including the conservative College of Cardinals, believe he may be less supportive than Francis.
Leo XIV has shown support for a declaration from Francis to permit blessings for same-sex couples and others in "irregular situations", although he has added that bishops must interpret such directives in accordance with local contexts and cultures.
Speaking last year about climate change, Cardinal Prevost said that it was time to move "from words to action".
He called on mankind to build a "relationship of reciprocity" with the environment.
And he has spoken about concrete measures at the Vatican, including the installation of solar panels and the adoption of electric vehicles.
Pope Leo XIV has supported Pope Francis' decision to allow women to join the Dicastery for Bishops for the first time.
"On several occasions we have seen that their point of view is an enrichment," he told Vatican News in 2023.
In 2024, he told the Catholic News Service that women's presence "contributes significantly to the process of discernment in looking for who we hope are the best candidates to serve the Church in episcopal ministry".
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