American Augustinian Cardinal Robert F. Prevost, 69, a native of Chicago and graduate of Villanova University, has become the 267th Supreme Pontiff of the Catholic Church, taking the name Pope Leo XIV, on Thursday, May 8.
The College of Cardinals elected him on the third ballot of the papal conclave.
Soon after white smoke appeared over the Sistine Chapel indicating the election of a new pope, he greeted thousands of visitors from the open window overlooking St. Peter’s Square in Rome. They chanted his name “Leo!” several times during his address to the crowd.
Their elation and prayers of thanksgiving to God was echoed by the approximately 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide celebrating their new shepherd.
In Philadelphia, Archbishop Nelson J. Pérez noted in a statement both the region’s and his own personal connections with the new pope.
“People from our area already have a special closeness with the Holy Father,” said Archbishop Pérez. “He is the first pope from the United States of America and a graduate of Villanova University! With glad hearts, we lift up prayers of Thanksgiving for his election and eagerly anticipate all that will flow from his Petrine Ministry for the good of souls and the good of our world.”
He continued, “I have had the pleasure of working and conversing with the Holy Father as a member of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America during his time as its president. I witnessed first-hand a wonderful, gentle, humble, and spiritual man of God who is a true gift to the world.
Pope Leo XIV will be a pastor not just for Catholics, but for every person of good will. He is a man of deep faith and extraordinary intellectual ability who understands the pastoral needs of our richly diverse Church as well as the challenges of our modern society. I know that his papacy will be marked by a desire for genuine Christian encounter with all people and that it will be filled with the compassionate love of Jesus Christ.”
(Read Archbishop Pérez’s full statement here.)
A Mass of Thanksgiving for the election of the pope will be celebrated by the Archbishop on Friday, May 9 at 12:05 p.m. in the Cathedral Basilica of SS. Peter and Paul in Philadelphia. All are invited to attend and all priests of the Archdiocese are invited to concelebrate the Mass. Those unable to attend in person can watch live on Archbishop Pérez’s Facebook page.
(Read details about the Mass here.)
In addition to leading the Pontifical Council for Latin America, on which Archbishop Pérez serves, the former Cardinal Prevost led the Dicastery for Bishops at the Holy See, was bishop of the Diocese of Chiclayo in Peru, and formerly led his worldwide Order of St. Augustine as prior general.
Pope Leo XIV’s background features high-level experience in the Roman Curia, leadership of the diverse global apostolate of the Augustinians, and pastoral experience leading Catholics in Latin America.
He was born Sept. 14, 1955 in Chicago, Illinois to Louis M. Prevost, of French and Italian descent, and Mildred Martínez, of Spanish descent. He has two brothers, Louis and John.
He studied first at the Minor Seminary of the Augustinian Fathers then graduated from Villanova University with a degree in mathematics in 1977. He also earned a degree in theology from the Catholic Theological Union of Chicago and a degree in canon law at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum) in Rome.
He was ordained a priest in the Order of St. Augustine on June 19, 1982 in Rome.
He spent his first 11 years in Peru serving as a parish pastor, canon lawyer, and seminary professor. Returning to the United States, he held leadership roles in his order.
Pope Francis then appointed him Apostolic Administrator of the Peruvian Diocese of Chiclayo in 2014. He was ordained a bishop Dec. 12 of that year by Archbishop James P. Green, the apostolic nuncio to Peru and himself a priest of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.
Bishop Prevost was elected second vice-president of the Peruvian Episcopal Conference in 2018.
A year later Pope Francis named Bishop Prevost to serve on the Congregation for Clergy and in the following year to the Congregation for Bishops.
In 2020 he was named Apostolic Administrator of the Peruvian Diocese of Callao.
Then Pope Francis called him to Rome to lead both the Dicastery for Bishops and the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, promoting him to archbishop.
In 2023 he was named a cardinal deacon by Pope Francis who appointed him as a member to eight Vatican dicasteries: Evangelization (Section for First Evangelization and New Particular Churches), for the Doctrine of the Faith, for the Eastern Churches, for the Clergy, for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, for Culture and Education, for Legislative Texts, and of the Pontifical Commission for the Vatican City State.
In February 2025, he was named a cardinal bishop by Pope Francis.
Beginning his address to the crowds in Rome, Pope Leo XIV greeted all with the words of Jesus, “Peace be with you!”
Invoking the memory of the late Pope Francis, Pope Leo XIV said, “We are all in the hands of God. Without fear, united, hand in hand with God and among ourselves, we will go forward. We are disciples of Christ, Christ goes before us, and the world needs His light. Humanity needs Him like a bridge to reach God and His love. You help us to build bridges with dialogue and encounter so we can all be one people always in peace.”
The new Holy Father used the themes of walking together, and building bridges together, as the first themes of his pontificate.
“We have to look together how to be a missionary Church, building bridges, dialogue; always open to receiving with open arms for everyone; like this square, open to all, to all who need our charity, our presence, dialogue, love.”
In closing, he said that “Our blessed mother Mary always wants to walk with us, be close to us; she always wants to help us with her intercession and her love. So let us pray together for this mission, and for all of the Church, and for peace in the world.”
He concluded by leading the thousands of people in the square with a recitation of the Hail Mary prayer.
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