American pope Leo XIV: A new era of multicultural leadership
On Thursday, Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost was elected as the new pope. The clergyman took the name Leo XIV. He is an American from Chicago who spent a large part of his priestly life in Peru.
Robert Prevost was born on 14 September 1955, in Chicago. He is the first American to become pope. In 1977, he earned a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Villanova University, and the following year he joined the Order of St. Augustine. He later obtained a master's degree from the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago and a doctorate in canon law from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome.
Over the years, he worked in Peru, serving, among other roles, as the prefect of a religious seminary in Trujillo. In 2014, he became the apostolic administrator of the Peruvian Diocese of Chiclayo. That same year, he received his episcopal ordination.
In 2023, Pope Prevost was appointed by Pope Francis as the prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops and the president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America. Also in 2023, he was appointed a cardinal deacon, and in February 2025, a cardinal bishop.
Prevost first went to Peru as a missionary in 1985, returning to the United States in 1999 to take on a leadership role in his order. He later moved to Rome, where he served as the head of the Augustinians for two six-year terms, visiting many of the order's communities worldwide. He speaks English, Spanish, Italian, French, and Portuguese. After returning to Rome in 2023, Prevost generally did not participate in many social events that attract Vatican officials throughout the city, reports Reuters.
"Avoids cliques in Rome"
The French Catholic daily "La Croix" assesses that the new pope sees the Church in one of the "broadest and most universal" ways, which is "a result of his rich and diverse pastoral experience." Drawing the life path of Cardinal Prevost, it states that it exemplifies a "multicultural Church," akin to that of his predecessor, Pope Francis.
The daily describes the new pope as a clergyman "avoiding cliques in Rome," maintaining "good relationships both in progressive and conservative circles." By choosing him, "the cardinals confirm the choice of an open, multicultural, and missionary Church," highlights "La Croix."
A supporter of Francis's pontificate
Father Mark Francis, a friend of Prevost, whom he has known since the 1970s, told Reuters that the new pope is a strong supporter of his predecessor Francis's pontificate, especially the late pope's engagement in social justice issues.
- He was always friendly and warm and remained a voice of common sense and practical concerns for the Church's outreach to the poor. He has a wry sense of humour, but was not someone who sought the limelight - said Mark Francis to Reuters.
In an interview given in 2023 to the Vatican News service, Prevost emphasised the importance of evangelisation for the growth of the Church. During a Vatican press conference in 2023, he stated that "our work is to enlarge the tent and to let everyone know they are welcome inside the Church" - recalls Reuters.
Prevost is a self-proclaimed tennis fan. - I consider myself quite the amateur tennis player, - he said in one interview two years ago, which was remembered by, among others, the Argentine daily "La Nacion" and the French "Le Figaro." They also noted that there is a tennis court in the Vatican.
- Since leaving Peru I have had few occasions to practice so I am looking forward to getting back on the court - said Leo XIV in an interview.
