Cheers of “Viva il Papa!” echoed across St. Peter’s Square even before the official announcement was made from the balcony of the basilica. The Catholic Church has elected Robert Francis Prevost, 69, as the 267th pope, who will now be known as Pope Leo XIV.
Prevost marks a historic first as the first American-born pontiff. Despite his U.S. origins, he is closely tied to Latin America due to his extensive missionary work in Peru, where he spent a significant part of his clerical career.
Born in Chicago in 1955 to a family with Spanish and Franco-Italian roots, Prevost began his religious life early, serving as an altar boy and later being ordained in 1982. By 1985, he had relocated to Peru, where he worked extensively with underserved communities, earning local admiration for his commitment to social outreach and inclusion.
Holding dual nationality, including Peruvian citizenship, Leo XIV is remembered in Trujillo for his decade-long service as a parish priest and seminary educator. He often returned to the U.S. to continue pastoral and leadership duties within the Augustinian Order.
Addressing the faithful for the first time as pope, Leo XIV paid heartfelt tribute to his predecessor: “We still hear in our ears the weak but always courageous voice of Pope Francis who blessed us.” He urged unity and spiritual solidarity, telling the crowd, “United and hand in hand with God, let us advance together.”
In 2014, Pope Francis appointed Prevost as Bishop of Chiclayo, Peru. His leadership credentials grew further as he assumed a key Vatican post as prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops in Latin America, overseeing the appointment and management of bishops across the region. He was elevated to archbishop in January 2023 and made a cardinal by Pope Francis shortly thereafter.