For the first time in history, the Catholic Church has chosen someone from the United States to lead as pope. Robert Prevost, an American who has served extensively in Peru and held important positions within the Catholic Church, is Pope Leo XIV. His historic election has world leaders and the Catholic faithful around the world wondering what his leadership will mean. Here’s what to know about Pope Leo XIV.
An American tied to Peru who rose through the Catholic ranks
On Thursday, the 133 cardinals gathered in the Sistine Chapel chose Robert Prevost to become the new pope. He and his immediate predecessor, the Argentinian-born Pope Francis, are the only two popes ever from the Western Hemisphere, and Prevost is the first from North America.
The Washington Post reported that Prevost was born in Chicago and earned a degree in math from Villanova University. He spent years in Peru as a missionary and priest and even became a naturalized citizen of that country while maintaining his American citizenship; his colleagues in Rome reportedly call him the “Latin Yankee” for his ties to the United States and Peru.
According to Villanova, Prevost has held a number of influential positions within the Catholic Church. He is a member of the Augustinian religious order and the first Augustinian friar elected as pope; he was previously twice elected to lead the Augustinians, beginning in 2001. In 2014, Pope Francis sent Prevost back to Peru, where he became apostolic administrator and then bishop of the Diocese of Chiclayo in the north of the country. In 2023, Francis brought Prevost to the Vatican and appointed him prefect of the Dicastery of Bishops, making Prevost head of the body that oversees the creation of new dioceses and the appointment of new bishops. Prevost was also made a cardinal that year and was seen as a potential candidate to succeed Francis.
How will the new, moderate pope deal with politics?
In the years leading up to his election as pope, Prevost has been seen as a moderate within the church, according to CBS News, with conservative and progressive views. For instance, he has opposed ordaining women in the Catholic Church; however, he also played a key role in the historic appointment by Pope Francis of three women to the body that vets potential new bishops, CNN reported.
“I think their appointment is more than just a gesture on the part of the Pope to say that there are now women here, too,” Prevost said of the appointment. He added, “I believe that there is still much to learn” concerning the Catholic Church’s response to sexual abuse; the new pope has reportedly had a mixed record when it comes to handling abusive priests, according to France 24.
With the pope coming from the United States, one early concern about his papacy is how he will impact and interact with the Trump administration. So far, President Donald Trump, who clashed with Pope Francis, has welcomed the new pope.
So has Vice President JD Vance, a Catholic who met Pope Francis hours before his death.
Before becoming pope, Prevost posted or shared several messages on social media critical of the Trump administration, such as a February post: “JD Vance is wrong: Jesus doesn’t ask us to rank our love for others.”
In his first remarks, Pope Leo XIV told the Catholic faithful that he wanted “to walk together with you as a united church searching all together for peace and justice, working together as women and men, faithful to Jesus Christ without fear, proclaiming Christ, to be missionaries, faithful to the Gospel.”
Pope Francis sought peace and justice, sometimes clashing with world leaders and even church members in the process. We will see whether Pope Leo will follow in his footsteps or take a more conciliatory approach to leading the Catholic Church.
