Pope Leo XIV: From Chicago to the Chair of Peter

On 8 May 2025, the College of Cardinals elected Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost as the 267th Pope of the Catholic Church, marking a new chapter in the Church’s history. Adopting the name Pope Leo XIV, he becomes the first American-born Pontiff and holds dual citizenship in the United States and Peru. His election has been viewed as a bridge between the Global North and South, reflecting the Church’s growing universality.

Early Life and Education

Born on 14 September 1955 in Chicago, Illinois, Robert Prevost is the son of Louis Marius Prevost, a U.S. Navy veteran and school administrator of French and Italian descent, and Mildred Martinez, of Spanish heritage. He graduated from the minor seminary of the Order of St Augustine in 1973, and later earned a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from Villanova University in 1977.

Drawn to religious life, he joined the Order of St Augustine in 1977, took his first vows a year later, and made his solemn profession in 1981. He completed a Master of Divinity at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago in 1982.

Path to Priesthood and Canon Law Expertise

Ordained on 19 June 1982 in Rome by Archbishop Jean Jadot, Prevost pursued advanced studies in canon law, earning both a Licentiate and Doctorate in Canon Law from the Pontifical College of St Thomas Aquinas by 1987.

His missionary calling led him to Peru, where he served as chancellor of the Territorial Prelature of Chulucanas and later as head of the Augustinian seminary in Trujillo. During his decade-long ministry there, he taught canon law, adjudicated ecclesiastical cases, and ministered to marginalised communities.

A Global Churchman

From 2001 to 2013, Prevost served as Prior General of the Order of Saint Augustine, overseeing the order’s missions worldwide. He was appointed Bishop of Chiclayo, Peru, in 2015 and elevated to the College of Cardinals in 2023. That same year, Pope Francis named him Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops and President of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, placing him at the centre of the Church’s governance.

Fluent in English, Spanish, Italian, French, and Portuguese, and able to read Latin and German, Pope Leo XIV embodies a truly multilingual and multicultural leadership, shaped by years of pastoral and academic service across continents.

Looking Ahead

With his election as Pope Leo XIV, the Church welcomes a shepherd deeply rooted in Augustinian spirituality, canon law, and missionary zeal. His global outlook and pastoral heart signal a papacy committed to dialogue, inclusion, and reform—setting the tone for the Church’s journey into the future.

By Catholic Connect Reporter