Profile of Pope Leo XIV

Pope Leo XIV, born Robert Francis Prevost on September 14, 1955, in Chicago, Illinois, is the 267th pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church and the first American to hold this position.

His election on May 8, 2025, marks a historic moment in the Church’s 2,000-year history.

Early Life and Education

Prevost was born into a family of French, Italian, and Spanish descent.

He completed his secondary education at the minor seminary of the Order of St. Augustine in 1973. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics from Villanova University in 1977.

In the same year, he entered the novitiate of the Order of St. Augustine. He professed his solemn vows in 1981 and was ordained a priest on June 19, 1982, by Archbishop Jean Jadot.

He obtained a Licentiate in Canon Law in 1984 and a Doctorate in Canon Law in 1987 from the Pontifical College of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome.

Missionary Work in Peru

In 1985, Prevost joined the Augustinian mission in Peru, serving as chancellor of the Territorial Prelature of Chulucanas from 1985 to 1986. He returned to Peru in 1988, leading the Augustinian seminary in Trujillo for a decade.

During this time, he also taught canon law in the diocesan seminary, served as prefect of studies, judge of the regional ecclesiastical court, and member of the college of consultors of Trujillo.

He became a naturalized Peruvian citizen during his missionary work.

Leadership Roles

In 1998, Prevost was elected provincial of the Augustinian Province of Chicago. He served as Prior General of the Order of Saint Augustine from 2001 to 2013.

In 2014, he was appointed Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Chiclayo, Peru, and became its bishop in 2015.

In 2023, Pope Francis appointed him as Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops and President of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America.

He was created a cardinal on September 30, 2023, and assigned to the Suburbicarian Diocese of Albano in February 2025.

Papacy

Prevost was elected pope on May 8, 2025, after four rounds of voting during the conclave.

He chose the name Leo XIV, becoming the first pope to take this name since Leo XIII.

His election was seen as a bridge between the progressive reforms of Pope Francis and the traditionalist elements within the Church. In his first “Urbi et Orbi” blessing, he emphasized unity and peace.

Pope Leo XIV’s extensive experience in missionary work, theological education, and ecclesiastical administration positions him to address contemporary challenges facing the Catholic Church, including declining vocations, secularization, and internal divisions.