Pope Leo XIV, now the successor of St. Peter, leads the 1.4 billion-strong Catholic Church in a sacred role that few others will ever hold.

Pope Leo XIV, the first person from the United States to lead the Catholic Church, is taking on a financial headache in his new position. White smoke billowed from the Vatican at about 6 p.m. on Thursday as the papal conclave made its decision about who should become the leader of the Catholic Church.

The Catholic Church made history Thursday with the election of Pope Leo XIV, the first American pontiff. The moment carried special meaning for Catholics in the Bay Area and across the United States, as white smoke billowed from the Sistine Chapel chimney, signaling an announcement that quickly spread across the globe.