Many Catholics around the world don’t know much about this Chicago-born church leader. But his life story rooted in the United States and Latin America says a lot about how he might lead.
On May 8, crowds cheered in St. Peter’s Square as white smoke rose from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel. Soon after, Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost stepped onto the balcony as Pope Leo XIV, the first American pope, and the first from the Augustinian religious order.
Speaking in Italian, he first remembered Pope Francis. “We still hear in our ears the weak but always brave voice of Pope Francis who blessed us,” he told the crowd. “United and hand in hand with God, let us move forward together.”
Many Catholics around the world don’t know much about this Chicago-born church leader. But his life story rooted in the United States and Latin America says a lot about how he might lead.
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Who is Robert Francis Prevost?
Born in Chicago in 1955 to a Spanish-American mother and a father with French and Italian roots, Prevost grew up with his two brothers. After high school at the Augustinian school, he went to Villanova University in Pennsylvania, where he earned a degree in Mathematics while also studying philosophy.
That same year, he joined the Augustinian order, taking his final vows in 1981. He studied religion at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, then went to Rome where he was ordained as a priest in 1982 while studying church law.
Peru became a big part of his life starting in 1985. What started as a short-term assignment to finish his doctoral work turned into decades of service. He worked in the northern city of Trujillo, where he taught theology and canon law, ran parishes in poor neighborhoods, and helped train new priests. He took on legal roles within the Church and became a Peruvian citizen along the way.
Missionary Youth Easter, Chiclayo | Photo from the Pope’s official X account: @drprevost
In 1999, he came back to the US to lead the Chicago-based Augustinian group. Just two years later, he was chosen to lead the entire Augustinian order worldwide, a job he kept for twelve years. In 2013, he briefly returned to Chicago before Pope Francis named him Bishop of Chiclayo in Peru in 2014.
And as Bishop of Chiclayo, Prevost became known for working well with poor communities. He later became vice president of the Peruvian Bishops’ Conference while serving on important Vatican committees. In 2020, he was also put in charge of the Diocese of Callao.
Climbing the Vatican ranks
His profile at the Vatican grew bigger in January 2023 when Pope Francis brought him to Rome to lead the Dicastery for Bishops (The Dicastery plays a central role in selecting bishops around the world) and made him President of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America. Later that year, Pope Francis made him an archbishop and later on, in September 2024, a cardinal.
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On February 6, 2025, just months before Pope Francis’s death, Prevost had been promoted to the Order of Bishops and assigned the suburbicarian see of Albano (one of the ancient dioceses surrounding Rome, traditionally given to the highest-ranking cardinals) placing him among the most senior members of the College of Cardinals.
What might his leadership look like?
Prevost has always pushed for a more open Church (Synodality) with more everyday people involved in decisions, something he sees as a way to heal divisions. On climate issues, he’s been clear about taking real action, not just talking, warning against careless use of technology, and urging respect for nature.
On tougher issues, he’s a bit careful. He is not in favor of women becoming deacons, saying it might solve little and possibly cause new tensions. On the question of same-sex couples, he hasn’t drawn a hard line either way. He believes local bishops should decide what’s appropriate in their own regions, based on cultural context.
The new pope brings a unique view shaped by his time in both the United States and Latin America. This mix of experiences—working with the poor in Peru while also leading at the highest levels of the Church has shaped his belief that a bishop should not act like a prince sitting in his kingdom, but should walk with the people.
As Pope Leo XIV steps into a papacy at a time of transition, his background in both rich and developing countries may be especially helpful. His focus on peace, unity, and practical changes suggests he’ll take a balanced approach to the complex problems facing today’s Church.
