Even before his name was formally announced from the iconic balcony of St Peter’s Basilica, the crowds gathered in Vatican City erupted into cheers of “Viva il Papa!”—Long live the Pope. The world watched as Robert Francis Prevost, a 69-year-old cardinal with roots in both North and South America, was introduced as Pope Leo XIV, the 267th successor to Saint Peter and the first American-born pontiff in the history of the Roman Catholic Church, “Peace be with all you,” Pope Leo XIV said from the balcony in his first public words.
Born in 1955 in Chicago to Spanish and Franco-Italian parents, Pope Leo XIV embodies a multicultural and missionary spirit. Although raised in the United States, his spiritual and pastoral identity was deeply shaped by decades spent serving in Peru, where he became a beloved figure among marginalized communities and a bridge-builder across cultural divides. He holds Peruvian nationality and speaks fluently in both the Latin American and North American Catholic experiences.
Ordained in 1982 as a priest in the Augustinian Order, Prevost moved to Peru in 1985. There, he worked as a parish pastor and seminary professor in Trujillo, dedicating over a decade to local ministry and education. According to a Forbes report, Pope Leo XIV’s early religious foundation was formed at St. Mary of the Assumption Church in southern Chicago, where he spent his childhood. He later attended St. Augustine Seminary High School.
Following high school, Prevost pursued a degree in mathematics at Villanova University. He then returned to Chicago to study divinity at the renowned Catholic Theological Union. During his theological studies, he also worked part-time teaching mathematics and occasionally taught physics at St. Rita High School in Chicago.
His educational background deeply influenced his theology and priorities. He became Bishop of Chiclayo in 2014, appointed by Pope Francis himself, and quickly gained recognition for his compassionate leadership and commitment to ecclesial transparency during turbulent times for the Church.
Prevost’s ascent within the Vatican was rapid yet grounded in pastoral experience. In January 2023, he was named Archbishop and appointed Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, giving him key influence over the selection and oversight of bishops across Latin America.
While the Vatican refers to him as the second pope from the Americas after Francis of Argentina, Leo XIV’s American birthplace is historic. His dual cultural heritage and experience in two continents could uniquely position him to address the polarizations facing the global Church.
As he begins his papacy, Pope Leo XIV stands not just as the first American pope, but as a symbol of unity between North and South, tradition and reform, spiritual leadership and social engagement.
