The conclave has spoken. The white smoke has appeared. And we have a new pope. American Cardinal Robert Prevost (69) has been elected the 267th pontiff. He chose the name Leo XIV, according to a Vatican report. He was born in Chicago and is the first American pope ever. The vote came on the second day of the papal process known as the conclave. He had not been considered the frontrunner, and many did not expect an American to head the papacy. This just added more suspense to the moment.
His election, of course, follows the death of Pope Francis on April 21 and the traditional 15-day mourning period after the death of a pope. 133 Cardinals gathered in the Sistine Chapel to participate in the secret conclave. And at 6 pm Rome time on Thursday, the white smoke was seen wafting out of the chimney, signifying that a new pope had been selected. The cardinals went through at least four ballots before a two-thirds majority picked Leo.
The New Pope’s Education and Background
Pope Leo XIV was born Robert Francis Prevost in Chicago, Illinois 1955. He is also a citizen of Peru, where he worked for many years. He grew up in south suburban Dolton with his two brothers, and his family was very active in their church and very devout Catholics, according to the Vatican. He has an undergraduate degree in mathematics from Villanova University. He then studied theology at the Catholic Theological Union of Chicago, earning a Master’s of Divinity. After studying at Pontifical Saint Thomas Aquinas University in Rome, he was ordained a priest in 1982.
After his ordination, he was sent to Peru, where he worked as a missionary and later ran a seminary in Trujillo, Peru. Pope Francis appointed him apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Chiclayo in Peru in 2014. A year later, he became a bishop. He was named a cardinal in 2023, and before he was elected pope, he was the head of the church’s Dicastery for Bishops, which oversees the selection of new bishops.
Pope Leo XIV’s Beliefs
Within the Catholic Church, he is considered a diplomat. Although he is viewed as a centrist, he is actually quite liberal on certain social issues, such as his deep concern for the poor and disadvantaged. He has also been very critical of U.S. President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance’s policies. There is some speculation that an American was chosen as the new pope, as he may be more confident in opposing Trump’s views.
However, he opposes ordaining women as deacons, so he is considered conservative on church doctrine. As a bishop in Chiclayo, Peru, Leo opposed a government plan to teach gender in schools. And he appears to differ with Francis on LGBTQ issues as he has expressed dismay at the way media and pop culture expressed “sympathy for beliefs and practices that contradict the gospel.” But he is opposed to the criminalization of the LGBTQ community.
What Leo Said
The following are excerpts from Leo’s speech from St. Peter’s Basilica after his election as pope.
We still hold in our ears that weak yet ever courageous voice of Pope Francis as he blessed Rome—the Pope who blessed Rome, who gave his blessing to the world, to the whole world, that Easter morning. Allow me to follow up on that same blessing: God loves us, God loves you all, and evil shall not prevail. We are all in God’s hands.
I also wish to thank all the brother cardinals who have chosen me to be the successor of Peter and to walk with you as a united Church, always seeking peace, justice, always striving to work as faithful women and men of Jesus Christ, without fear, to proclaim the Gospel, to be missionaries.
To the Church of Rome, a special greeting: we must seek together how to be a missionary Church, a Church that builds bridges, dialogue, always open to welcome—like this square with open arms—all those who need our presence.ether how to be a missionary Church, a Church that builds bridges, dialogue, always open to welcome—like this square with open arms—all those who need our presence.
