Robert Prevost, a Chicago-born missionary and Vatican insider, was elected the first US Pope, Leo XIV, on May 8, 2025. Known for his Peru missions and Dicastery for Bishops role, the 69-year-old bridges reform and tradition for the 1.4 billion-member Catholic Church.
On May 8, 2025, white smoke from the Sistine Chapel announced Robert Francis Prevost as Pope Leo XIV, the first US pontiff, succeeding Pope Francis, per Reuters. Born September 14, 1955, in Chicago, the 69-year-old’s election by 133 cardinals reflects his global pastoral experience and Vatican expertise, per Vatican News. As head of the Dicastery for Bishops since 2023, appointed by Francis, Prevost advised on bishop selections, earning a reputation as a moderate bridge-builder.
Pope Leo XIV appears on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica to greet the faithful for the first time as the 267th Pope. pic.twitter.com/tsA1a0XSOM
— Vatican News (@VaticanNews) May 8, 2025The prevost’s missionary work in Peru, which started in 1985, aligned with Francis’s focus on the Church’s “peripheries,” per Catholic News Agency. His canon law doctorate and Augustinian leadership roles, including prior general, bolstered his papal candidacy. Italian outlet La Repubblica dubbed him “the least American of the Americans” for his soft-spoken style.
Prevost’s Vision and Background
Prevost, who joined the Augustinians after studying at Villanova and Chicago’s Catholic Theological Union, served in Peru’s Chiclayo Diocese and led the Pontifical Commission for Latin America.
After Francis’ death, he told Vatican News, “We can’t turn back,” urging the Church to adapt its Gospel message to today’s world, per La Croix. His balance of theology and reform appealed to conservative and progressive cardinals. The Ouellet case, dismissed in 2023, paved the way for his Dicastery role.
