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When white smoke rose above the Sistine Chapel on May 8, 2025, the world was introduced to Robert Francis Prevost, who took the name Leo XIV.
At 69, the Chicago-born cleric became the first pope from the United States, a choice that surprised Vatican observers.
Considered an unlikely candidate due to his nationality, Prevost was nonetheless elected on the fourth ballot, uniting progressive and conservative factions around a figure of balance.
Roots and Path to Priesthood
Born on September 14, 1955, in Chicago, Prevost grew up in Dolton, a working-class suburb, in a deeply Catholic family of Spanish, French, Italian, and Louisiana Creole roots. His father, a World War II veteran who fought at Normandy, later became a school superintendent, while his mother, from a Black Creole family in Louisiana, worked as an educator and librarian. This rich cultural heritage, combined with the daily devotion of his parents, who prayed the rosary together each evening, had a profound influence on Prevost’s upbringing.
Drawn to the priesthood from an early age, Prevost entered the Augustinian seminary immediately after middle school. A bright and determined student, he captained the bowling team and led the debate club, ultimately emerging as one of the few graduates of his class. He went on to earn a mathematics degree from Villanova University before joining the Augustinian Order in 1977. Ordained a priest in Rome in 1982, he continued his studies and completed a doctorate in canon law by 1987.
The Peruvian Missionary
Prevost’s pastoral identity was forged in Peru, where he arrived in 1985 as a young missionary. He spent nearly two decades confronting Latin America’s harsh realities: extreme poverty, political violence from the Shining Path insurgency, and recurring natural disasters.
In the Trujillo region, he led the Augustinian seminary, taught canon law, and ministered to indigenous communities and poor farmers, sometimes traveling by horseback to reach remote villages in the Lambayeque valleys. These experiences strengthened his social conscience and commitment to human rights. He openly criticized abuses under the Fujimori regime, defended Venezuelan refugees facing discrimination, and advocated for victims of political violence.
Returning to Peru as bishop of Chiclayo from 2015 to 2023, Prevost earned a reputation as a skilled administrator, a dialogue-builder, and a steadfast advocate for the Church’s social teachings, coordinating disaster relief and supporting refugee initiatives.
A Man of Dialogue and Balance
Elected prior general of the Augustinians in 2001, Prevost led the order for twelve years from Rome, extensively traveling across the world. During this period, he met Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the future Pope Francis; their relationship evolved from cautious to mutually respectful.
Prevost’s talent for bridging differences and fostering dialogue became a hallmark of his leadership. In 2023, Pope Francis appointed him cardinal and prefect of the Congregation for Bishops, positioning him in a key role within the Vatican. Widely regarded as a moderate, he represents a centrist path in a Church often marked by division, championing synodality and encouraging active participation from all the faithful while remaining attentive to the guidance of the Holy Spirit in decision-making.
A Pontificate Dedicated to Unity
By choosing the name Leo XIV, Prevost pays tribute to Leo XIII, the pope of the industrial revolution and author of the social encyclical Rerum Novarum. The choice signals his priorities: addressing the challenges of a new industrial era shaped by artificial intelligence, defending human dignity, and protecting workers’ rights. His episcopal motto, In illo Uno unum (In Him alone, we are one), reflects his vision of a Church united in a divided world.
On the liturgical front, Leo XIV has reinstated select traditional practices while upholding the key reforms of Pope Francis, including residence in the Apostolic Palace and using Benedict XVI’s papal staff. On the international stage, he continues Francis’s commitment to peace, advocating for ceasefires in Ukraine and Gaza, condemning exclusionary nationalism, and defending migrants’ rights.
First Apostolic Journey to the Middle East
Leo XIV will make his first international trip as pope to Turkey and Lebanon from November 27 to December 2, 2025.
The Lebanon visit, scheduled from November 30 to December 2, carries deep significance for a country still reeling from multiple crises. Leo XIV will celebrate a public Mass along Beirut’s seafront, attend an ecumenical and interfaith gathering at Martyrs’ Square, meet with Lebanese youth at Bkerkeh, and pay respects at the tomb of Saint Charbel in Annaya. He will also visit the Port of Beirut, the site of the catastrophic August 2020 explosion.
Choosing Lebanon for his first apostolic journey underscores his commitment to interfaith dialogue and solidarity with communities affected by conflict and hardship in the Middle East.
As the first pope of the baby-boom generation, an Apple Watch wearer, and a Wordle enthusiast, Leo XIV embodies a Church seeking to engage with modern life without compromising its principles. His pontificate promises to be one of bridge-building, dialogue, and unity in a divided world.
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