Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost is now Pope Leo XIV
A week or so ago, President Donald Trump posted an image of himself dressed in papal regalia on his social media platform. Perhaps he had a premonition that a citizen of the United States would become pope.
As it happened, on an early Thursday evening at 6.07 p.m. Rome time, white smoke billowed out of the specially installed chimney of the Sistine Chapel. This white smoke is a Catholic norm, signifying to the faithful gathered below in St Peter’s Square that the 133 cardinals in conclave had elected a new pope. Two of the 135 eligible cardinals could not attend, but the conclave still counted as one of the largest in the Church’s history.
The cardinals elected 69-year-old Robert Francis Prevost, now a former cardinal. As is customary, he chose a new name and became Pope Leo XIV. Prevost is the first American in the Church’s 2,000-year history to ascend to the papacy, and his election likely surprised almost everyone outside the Sistine Chapel.
For many reasons, the Catholic Church has long avoided electing an American pope. Chief among these is the desire to prevent the impression that the papacy is aligned with a superpower, as the Vatican feared people might see it as operating under American influence.
Culturally, the Vatican has also viewed the American Church as too immersed in the American ideals of individual liberty and capitalism, which are often seen as being out of step with the universal social teaching of the Catholic Church’s common good. That Robert Francis Prevost managed to overcome these objections speaks volumes about his character, personality, and background.
Pope Francis elevated Prevost to the rank of cardinal as recently as 2023. Many now regard the new pope as a continuity candidate, sharing his predecessor’s outlook. The progressive wing of the Catholic Church is likely to celebrate his election the most, while conservatives may react more cautiously. North America will naturally claim him as one of their own, but some in South America can also take pride in this moment.
Born in Chicago, the new pope automatically becomes a citizen of the Vatican City State. He also held dual American–Peruvian nationality and is the first member of the Order of St Augustine to serve as pope. Until 2013, he led the Order as Prior-General.
Pope Francis appointed him Bishop of Chiclayo, Peru, where he served until 2023. That year, the pope named him Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, placing him in charge of advising on bishop appointments worldwide. He also became President of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, and in the same year, Pope Francis made him a cardinal.
His varied and distinguished service likely persuaded the cardinal electors to set aside their longstanding concerns about electing an American pope.
Prevost chose to be called Pope Leo XIV, perhaps as a sign that he wishes to continue the legacy of Pope Leo XIII from the late 1800s, whose encyclical Rerum Novarum supported workers’ rights, unions, and economic justice in light of the Roman Catholic teaching on the common good.
“Peace be with all of you,” the new Leo began. “Dearest brothers and sisters, this is the first greeting of the Risen Christ, the Good Shepherd, who gave His life for God’s flock. I, too, want this greeting of peace to enter your hearts, to reach your families, and all people, wherever they are; all peoples, all over the earth. Peace be with you.”
Many may have recalled Pope Francis, and perhaps Pope Leo XIV intended to send precisely that message.
