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Robert Prevost, a missionary who spent his career ministering in Peru and leads the Vatican's powerful office of bishops, was elected the first American pope in the 2,000-year history of the Catholic Church.
Robert Francis Prevost, a cardinal from the south suburbs of Chicago, has been elected as the 267th pope in the history of Roman Catholic Church.
UPDATED: May 9, 2025 00:04 IST
In a historic moment for the Roman Catholic Church, Robert Francis Prevost, a cardinal from the south suburbs of Chicago, has been elected as the 267th pope, taking the name Pope Leo XIV. Prevost, 69, becomes the first American to ascend to the papacy, following the death of Pope Francis.
Pope Leo XIV, the American Robert Prevost, said “Peace be with you” in his first words as pope, offering a message of peace and dialogue “without fear.”
Here is all you want to know about Robert Prevost:
Robert Prevost, a missionary who spent his career ministering in Peru and leads the Vatican’s powerful office of bishops, was elected the first American pope in the 2,000-year history of the Catholic Church.
A member of the Order of St. Augustine, Pope Leo XIV brings a blend of Midwestern roots, missionary spirit, and Vatican leadership to the role. Born on September 14, 1955, in Dolton, Illinois, Prevost was ordained in 1982 and earned a doctorate in canon law from the Pontifical College of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome.
He spent over 20 years as a missionary in Peru, becoming a naturalized citizen and later serving as the Bishop of Chiclayo from 2015 to 2023. His deep ties to Latin America and fluency in Spanish and Italian have made him a respected bridge between North and South, tradition and reform.
Appointed by Pope Francis in 2023 to lead the powerful Dicastery for Bishops, Leo XIV was widely recognised as a capable, humble administrator. In 2025, he was elevated to cardinal-bishop, positioning him as a key figure in the future of Church governance.
Prevost had been a leading candidate except for his nationality. There had long been a taboo against a US 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’s a Peruvian citizen and lived for years in Peru, first as a missionary and then as an archbishop.
Francis brought Prevost to the Vatican in 2023 to serve as the powerful head of the office that vets bishop nominations from around the world, one of the most important jobs in the Catholic Church. As a result, Prevost had a prominence going into the conclave that few other cardinals have.
Known for his pastoral approach, Leo once told the Vatican’s news outlet, "The bishop is not supposed to be a little prince sitting in his kingdom... he is called to be humble, close to the people, to walk and suffer with them."
Following his election, Leo appeared on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, greeting the world with a simple, heartfelt message: “Peace be with all of you.”
From the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica, history’s first American pope recalled he was an Augustinian priest, but that he was above all a Christian above all and a bishop, “So we can all walk together.”
He spoke in Italian and then switched to Spanish, recalling his many years spent as a missionary and then archbishop of Chiclayo, Peru.
Published By:
Aashish Vashistha
Published On:
May 9, 2025
