Pope Leo XIV has made history as the first American to lead the Roman Catholic Church.
Following the death of Pope Francis, the papal conclave concluded its secretive gathering in the Sistine Chapel by selecting his successor just two days into the process.
Witnessing the emergence of white smoke from the chapel earlier today (Thursday, May 8), Vatican officials proclaimed from St Peter’s Basilica that Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost had agreed to take on the role as the 267th pope, adopting the papal name Pope Leo XIV.
Here’s what we know about him…
At 69, Prevost is relatively young for a pope. Originally from near Dolton, Illinois in Chicago, he is the first American to assume this role, a fact celebrated by President Donald Trump as ‘such an honor.’
Prevost spent a significant portion of his life in Peru during the 1980s and 1990s following his ordination in 1982, according to Newsweek.
He earned a doctorate in canon law from the Pontifical College of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome and became a naturalized citizen of Peru, serving in various clerical roles such as parish priest, diocesan official, and seminary teacher and administrator.
Fluent in both Spanish and Italian, he served as Bishop of Chiclayo in Peru from 2015 to 2023 before becoming a cardinal.
As a close associate of Pope Francis, the former pontiff appointed Leo as the apostolic administrator of the diocese of Callao, Peru, in 2020, followed by a position as Prefect within the Vatican’s Dicastery for Bishops in 2023, which oversees global episcopal appointments. These roles positioned him as a strong candidate for the papal conclave.
While Pope Francis was known for his progressive approach, Pope Leo is seen as holding more centrist views.
Rev. Michele Falcone, a priest in the Order of St. Augustine, described him to The New York Times as representing ‘the dignified middle of the road’.
According to ABC News, the name Leo has been chosen by popes on five occasions, with Pope Leo XIII—who led from 1878 until 1903—being a pivotal figure in the Catholic social justice tradition.
In his inaugural speech, the new pope addressed the crowd at St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City with the greeting: “Peace be with you.”
The international development charity Cafod has stated that Pope Leo serves as ‘a voice of wisdom in a fractured and divided world,’ and highlighted his missionary efforts in Peru, which bring ‘the vital perspective of the global south’ to his papacy, ‘elevating voices from the margins to centre stage’.
Pope Leo has also emphasized his dedication to serving both the church and the vulnerable, telling Vatican News last year: “The bishop is not supposed to be a little prince sitting in his kingdom, but rather called authentically to be humble, to be close to the people he serves, to walk with them, to suffer with them.”