First American elected pontiff, get to know Pope Leo XIV

Pope Leo XIV, 69, was elected to instrumentality up the papal spot connected Thursday, connected the 2nd time of the papal conclave’s deliberations. 

Born Robert Prevost connected Sept. 14, 1955 successful Chicago, Ill., helium was a suspected front-runner to win Pope Francis aft his passing precocious past month, though immoderate reporting suggested his being an American could really number against him owed to concerns that the U.S. could further exert its geopolitical prowess done the spiritual leader. 

Leo XIV was archetypal brought to the Vatican by Francis to service arsenic prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops in January 2023, which is 1 of the astir important positions successful the Catholic Church arsenic it vets bishop nominations issued globally. 

Newly elected Pope Leo XIV, Cardinal Robert F. Prevost of the U.S., appears connected the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica astatine the Vatican, May 8, 2025.  (Reuters/Claudia Greco)

LIVE UPDATES: CARDINAL ROBERT PREVOST ANNOUNCED AS FIRST AMERICAN POPE, TAKING NAME LEO XIV

Francis past elevated him to the presumption of Cardinal successful September 2023. 

Leo was reported to beryllium intimately aligned to Francis's teachings arsenic person of the Catholic Church, peculiarly erstwhile it came to his positions regarding the environment, outreach to the mediocre and migrants, and opening the Catholic Church to clasp much followers.

Before making it to the highest presumption afforded successful the Catholic Church, helium archetypal entered the novitiate of the Order of Saint Augustine successful Saint Louis, successful 1977, which fundamentally marked his play of grooming earlier helium took his "holy orders."

In August 1981, helium gave his solemn vows, and by 1982 helium was ordained arsenic a priest.

By 1985 helium joined the Augustinian ngo successful Peru, wherever helium served arsenic chancellor of the Territorial Prélature of Chulucanas for 1 year.

Pope Francis appoints arsenic caller cardinal U.S-born prelate prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, Robert Francis Prevost during the Ordinary Public Consistory for the Creation of caller Cardinal astatine St. Peter's Square connected September 30, 2023, successful Vatican Cit. Pope Francis holds a consistory for the instauration of 21 caller cardinals, the consistory falls earlier the commencement of the Synod connected Synodality, acceptable to instrumentality spot successful October.  (Photo by Vatican Media via Vatican Pool/Getty Images)

CARDINAL ROBERT PREVOST ANNOUNCED AS FIRST AMERICAN POPE, TAKING NAME LEO XIV

Between 1987 and 1988, helium returned to the U.S., wherever helium served arsenic pastor for vocations and manager of missions for the Augustinian Province of Chicago, earlier helium returned to Peru for different 10 years to caput the Augustinian seminary successful Trujillo and thatch Cannon Law. 

Eventually, helium made his mode backmost to his hometown, where, successful 1999, helium was elected provincial anterior of the "Mother of Good Counsel" successful Chicago.

Leo would spell connected to beryllium elected doubly as person of the Augustinian spiritual order, a 13th period bid founded by St. Augustine.

He had caught the attraction of Francis, who, aft becoming pope successful 2013, moved Leo backmost to Peru successful 2014 to service arsenic the head and yet archbishop of Chiclayo.

Newly elected Pope Leo XIV, Cardinal Robert Prevost of the United States, appears connected the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica astatine the Vatican, May 8, 2025.  (Reuters, Stoyan Nenov)

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Leo got his Peruvian citizenship successful 2015, wherever helium remained until helium was moved to the Vatican successful 2023. 

During his last years successful Peru, Leo besides served arsenic vice-president of the imperishable assembly of the Peruvian Bishops’ Conference from 2018 to 2023, which apt helped him unafraid his relation arsenic prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops nether Francis. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.