Robert Francis Prevost, elected pope on May 8, 2025 under the name of Léon XIV, is the first sovereign pontiff from the United States.
Multiculture and internationality
He was born on September 14, 1955 in Chicago a French father and an Italian mother. Robert Francis Prevost grew up in the United States in a practicing Catholic family. This new pope is polyglot, he speaks 5 languages including English, French and Italian. He can also read Latin and German.
Robert Francis Prevost will first study mathematics at Villanova University and then theology in Chicago. He was ordained a priest in 1982. Then in 1985, it was in Peru that he was working in poor communities for almost 20 years. An international journey which he will continue to be responsible at the head of the Order of Saint-Augustin (religious institute which received the approval of the Holy See).
He will then combine the roles of trainer, parish priest, ecclesiastical judge and director of seminar. Its commitment to the field is very strong especially in the poorest districts. This will forge his reputation as a man in the field, close to social realities.
A course to the conclave
Little by little, Robert Francis Prevost got importance. It was in 2001 that he was elected prior general of his religious order, a position he will occupy for 12 years. This position is to direct the prayer of all colleagues during the offices. He is not a “superior” in the religious sense. It is the first of the colleagues who ensures compliance with the statutes by each.
It was in 2014 that Pope Francis appointed him bishop of Chiclayo, a city in northern Peru. Finally a decisive year of his career is the year 2023. The future pope is recalled in Rome to occupy an important position: that of prefect of the dicastery for the bishops. This comes back to the second most important position in the congregation.
A strategic choice
This new pope is above all in the continuity of the inheritance left by François. His election was relatively rapid: only four polls were enough to designate this cardinal appointed by François himself, proof of a largely consensual choice. By opting for the name of Léon XIV, he pays homage to several great figures of religious history.
Its designation marks a clear desire to continue the reforms initiated, without brutal rupture. 69 years old, the first American pope, he combines experience, discretion and determination. His reserved temperament could give way to a sober but ambitious pontificate.
