Robert Prevost was elected as Pope Francis’ successor on Thursday, May 8, concluding a two-day papal conclave. Hailing from Chicago, Prevost—who has chosen the name Pope Leo XIV—is the first American Pope.

A prominent Catholic newspaper is among those suggesting Pope Leo XIV may be the first Black pontiff in the Catholic Church’s history. The National Catholic Reporter, citing cenus records over a century old,

Pope Leo I tangled with Attila the Hun and won. Pope Leo III crowned Charlemagne as the first Holy Roman Emperor. This is the history of a legendary papal namesake.