The newly elected pope, Robert Francis Prevost, has chosen the name Leo XIV. The papal conclave chose him on May 8, 2025, after the death of Pope Francis.
Historically, Leo XIV is the first American to be elected pope.
Robert Francis Prevost was born in Chicago in 1955. He also holds Peruvian nationality, having spent twenty years in that country as a missionary, bishop and archbishop.
Prior to his election, he chaired the Pontifical Commission for Latin America and supervised the Vatican institution responsible for selecting and supervising bishops worldwide.
A member of the Augustinian order, Mgr Prevost has twice held executive positions worldwide.
Inheriting a Church torn by the question of whether to continue Pope Francis’s reforms, which have emphasized inclusion and adaptation, or take a new path, Pope Leo XIV finds himself in a difficult situation.
Leo XIV’s first speech pays tribute to Pope Francis and calls for unity and openness, suggesting a desire for dialogue and compassion.
The Pope, who has traveled extensively throughout the world, is seen as a centrist who is likely to straddle the line between maintaining tradition and responding to calls for reform within the universal Catholic Church.
Pope Leo XIV should guide the Catholic Church at a turning point, continuing the legacy of Pope Francis and opening up the prospect of new direction for the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics.