American Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost has been elected as the next Supreme Pontiff and spiritual leader of the Catholic Church.

The 267th pontiff, Pope Leo XIV, is a member of the Augustinian religious order and the first American-Peruvian pope.

Andrew West hosts this special edition of Radio National's Religion and Ethics Report and he is joined by papal experts, both in Rome and in Australia to discuss the historic election of Pope Leo XIV and what this appointment means for the future of the Catholic Church.

GUESTS:

• Claire Giangravé, Vatican Correspondent for the Religion News Service (currently in Rome)
• Dr Maeve Heaney, Director of the Xavier Centre for Theological Formation at the Australian Catholic University
• Dr Miles Pattenden, historian of the Catholic Church at Oxford University (currently in Rome)
• Professor Massimo Faggioli, author, historian and Professor of Theology at Villanova University, US 
• Noel Debien, Religion Specialist, Radio National/Compass (currently in Rome)