But many people in the square looked puzzled at first, and the complete lack of phone coverage meant that most couldn't look him up on the internet - so the first impression most got of Pope Leo XIV came down to the way he introduced himself from the ornate balcony.

White smoke billowed from the Sistine Chapel chimney in Vatican City Thursday as the world gathered to watch a new pope take the helm of the Roman Catholic Church. The man who emerged was a surprise to many and a historical first for the faith: Pope Leo XIV will be the first American pope.