“I announce to you a great joy: WE HAVE A POPE, The Most Eminent and Most Reverend Lord Robert Francis Cardinal of the Holy Roman Church, Prevost, who has taken the name Leo XIV. Just a few moments ago, from the central loggia of Saint Peter’s Basilica, Cardinal Protodeacon Dominique Mamberti pronounced the formula “Habemus Papam,” proclaiming to the city of Rome and to the whole world the news of the election of Robert Francis Cardinal Prevost as Pope Leo XIV.”
Pope Leo XIV, born Robert Francis Prevost on September 14, 1955, in Chicago, Illinois, is the 267th pope of the Roman Catholic Church and the first American to hold the papacy. He officially entered the Order of St. Augustine in 1978, making his solemn vows in 1981. He was ordained to the priesthood in June 1982 after studying theology at the Catholic Theological Union of Chicago.
As part of the Augustinian mission, he served in Peru from 1985 to 1986 and from 1988 to 1998 as a parish pastor, diocesan official, seminary teacher and administrator. From 2001 to 2013, he served as Prior General of the Order of Saint Augustine. Pope Francis appointed him as the Bishop of Chiclayo in 2015, where he served until 2023. In 2023, he was made a cardinal and was appointed Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops and President of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America.
Elected as Pope on May 8, 2025, he chose the name Leo XIV, symbolizing strength and continuity, referencing the influential Pope Leo XIII, known for advancing Catholic social justice and diplomacy.
Pope Leo XIV is fluent in multiple languages and is known for his humility and dedication to missionary and social work.