Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost has been elected as the 267th pope in the history of the Catholic Church and will be known as Pope Leo XIV.
Originally from Chicago, the 69-year-old becomes the first American to hold the papacy. A missionary who spent much of his career ministering in Peru, Prevost was most recently the head of the Vatican’s powerful office of bishops.
His election marks a historic milestone in the Church’s 2,000-year history.
The conclave of over 130 cardinal electors selected Pope Leo XIV on the second day of voting, following the death of Pope Francis on April 21 at the age of 88.
In keeping with tradition, Pope Leo XIV appeared on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica to deliver his first blessing and greet the faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square on Thursday, May 8, 2025.
His selection marks a significant new chapter in Church leadership, not only for his nationality but also for his global and pastoral experience.
According to a Vatican City report, Prevost had long been considered a leading candidate, though his American background posed a challenge:
“There had long been a taboo against a U.S. pope, given the geopolitical power already wielded by the United States in the secular sphere. But Prevost, a Chicago native, was seemingly eligible also because he is a Peruvian citizen and lived for years in Peru, first as a missionary and then as an archbishop,” the report noted.
Brief Profile: Pope Leo XIV
• Full Name: Robert Francis Prevost
• Birth: 1956, Chicago, USA
• Religious Order: Augustinian
• Ordained: 1981
Pope Leo XIV was raised in a devout Catholic family and felt a religious calling early in life. He joined the Augustinian seminary and was ordained a priest in 1981. After ordination, he engaged in teaching and pastoral work in various communities.
In 1992, he was appointed Provincial Prior of the Augustinians in the United States, where he significantly improved the organisation and international missions of the order.
In 2015, Pope Francis appointed him Bishop of Chiclayo in Peru. There, he became known for his commitment to education, human rights, and the fight against poverty.
In 2020, he was elevated to the cardinalate.
JKB/MA
Meanwhile, watch as Kwesi Pratt ‘threatens’ to fight Mahama if he ever attempt a third term
