On May 8, 2025, Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost was elected as the 267th pope of the Catholic Church, adopting the name Leo XIV. Born in Chicago, Illinois, on September 14, 1955, Prevost is the first American pope in history and the second from the Americas. He is a member of the Order of Saint Augustine and has a career marked by his missionary work in Peru and by his performance in various roles in the Church.
Formation and Ecclesiastical Trajectory
Prevost began his academic education with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Villanova University in 1977. He later joined the Order of Saint Augustine, where he took his vows in 1978 and was ordained a priest in 1982. He also earned a Master of Divinity from the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago and a doctorate in canon law from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome.
His missionary work in Peru was significant, serving as a parish priest, chancellor and seminary professor. Between 2001 and 2013, he served as Prior General of the Order of Saint Augustine. In 2014, he was appointed Bishop of Chiclayo by Pope Francis and, in 2023, he was elevated to the cardinalate and appointed Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops.
On May 8, 2025, Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost was elected as the 267th pope of the Catholic Church, adopting the name Leo XIV. Born in Chicago, Illinois, on September 14, 1955, Prevost is the first American pope in history and the second from the Americas. He is a member of the Order of Saint Augustine and has a career marked by his missionary work in Peru and by his performance in various roles in the Church.
Formation and Ecclesiastical Trajectory
Prevost began his academic education with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Villanova University in 1977. He later joined the Order of Saint Augustine, where he took his vows in 1978 and was ordained a priest in 1982. He also earned a Master of Divinity from the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago and a doctorate in canon law from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome.
His missionary work in Peru was significant, serving as a parish priest, chancellor and seminary professor. Between 2001 and 2013, he served as Prior General of the Order of Saint Augustine. In 2014, he was appointed Bishop of Chiclayo by Pope Francis and, in 2023, he was elevated to the cardinalate and appointed Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops.
The election of Robert Francis Prevost as Pope Leo XIV marks a historic moment for the Catholic Church, reflecting a continuity with the values of the Second Vatican Council and an openness to new challenges and dialogues on the global stage. With his academic background, missionary experience and commitment to social issues, his pontificate is expected to bring a new perspective to the Church in the years to come.
