Despite a long career in the Catholic church, before Thursday few had heard of Robert Francis Prevost
five things to know about pope leo xiv, Robert Francis Prevost, chosen as the new leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Roman Catholics and who has taken the papal name Leo XIV, is not widely known despite a long missionary career and senior roles in the Vatican. Here are five things about him.
He is the first American pope
Although 10 of the 133 cardinal-electors present at this week’s conclave were American, the idea of a US pope had long been a source of hesitation. Many opponents had expressed concern about how having a leader from a political, cultural and secular superpower could be interpreted. But that taboo was broken on Thursday evening.
Much of his career has been in Peru
After making his solemn vows in 1981 and studying in Rome, Prevost was sent to a mission in Peru. He spent more than 20 years there, serving as judicial vicar and as a professor of canon, patristic and moral law at a seminary in Peru’s third city, Trujillo, before being appointed bishop of Chiclayo in November 2014. The 69-year-old has Peruvian citizenship and is widely admired in South America’s third-largest country, hence all the Inca Kola and ceviche memes that greeted his appointment.
He is seen as a moderate and skilled mediator.
The conference was seen as a clash between progressives who wanted to uphold Francis’ legacy and conservatives who wanted to return the church to a more traditional path. However, the new pope is seen as a moderate figure, and his time in Peru was marked by his ability to work with diverse theological groups. In an interview with the New York Times, his brother John Prevost described him as “middle of the road”, adding: “I don’t think we’ll see extremes on either side.”
He leads the Augustinian order
Prévost joined the Order of Saint Augustine as a novice in 1977, serving as prior general, or leader, from 2001 to 2013. The order, founded in Italy in 1244, is dedicated to poverty, service, and the preaching of the word of God. Its core values include a commitment to “living together in one mind and one heart in the way of God.” He is the first Augustinian priest to be elected pope.
He has held senior roles in the Vatican
The new pope, elected a cardinal by the late Pope Francis in September 2023, was president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America and prefect of the powerful Dicastery for Bishops, which oversees the election of new bishops around the world.
