10 Essential Facts About the New Pope, Leo XIV: Meet Cardinal Robert Prevost

After the demise of Pope Francis, U.S. Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost has become the 267th head of the globe’s 1.4 billion Catholics.

Senior Cardinal Dominique Mamberti announced Prevost to a cheering crowd on St Peter’s balcony on Wednesday afternoon, saying the famous Latin words “Habemus Papam,” meaning “we have a pope.”

Picking the papal name Leo XIV, the newly elected Pope becomes the first American to occupy the exalted religious position.

Speaking in Italian, the 69-year-old described his predecessor as always “courageous and blessed Rome.”

ALSO READ: The Catholic Church has chosen an American named Robert Prevost as the new Pope Leo XIV.

Here are 10 key points to understand regarding Pope Leo XIV:

1. Prevost was born on September 14, 1555, in Chicago, Illinois, to parents Louis Marius Prevost and Mildred Martinez.

2. He joined the novitiate of the Order of Saint Augustine (OSA) in 1997 and took his final vows in 1981.

3. Having previously served as the prefect of the significant Dicastery for Bishops, Prevost held opinions akin to those of his direct predecessor. Before ascending to leadership roles, he dedicated several years to mission work in Peru. Following this, he was elected to lead the Augustinians consecutively for two terms.

4. Born in Chicago, this church leader obtained a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from Villanova University in 1977. He then pursued his Master of Divinity at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. Later, he acquired both a license and a doctorate in canon law from the Pontifical College of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome, where his dissertation focused on "The Role of the Local Prior in the Order of Saint Augustine."

5. In 1982, he became a priest and soon afterward became part of the Augustinian mission in Peru. During his time there, he held the position of chancellor at the Territorial Prelature of Chulucanas from 1985 to 1986.

6. From 1987 to 1988, he resided in his homeland, the United States, serving as a pastor for vocations and as the director of missions for the Augustinian Province of Chicago. In 1988, he went back to Peru, where over the following decade, he led the Augustinian seminary in Trujillo and taught canon law at the diocesan seminary, concurrently holding the position of prefect of studies. During this period,Prevost took on additional roles such as being a parish priest, a diocesan official, a director of formation, a seminary instructor, and a judicial vicar.

7. In 1999, he went back to Chicago where he was chosen as the provincial prior for the "Mother of Good Counsel" region within the archdiocese. Later, he rose to become the prior general of the Augustinian order, holding this position for two terms up until 2013.

8. In 2014, the American clergyman came back to Peru after being named the apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Chiclayo by Pope Francis. He advanced to become the Bishop of Chiclayo in 2015 and held positions such as vice-president and member of the permanent council of the Peruvian Bishops' Conference between 2018 and 2023.

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9. From 2020 to 2021,Prevost acted as the apostolic administrator of Callao in Peru.

10. In January 2023, Pope Francis named Prevost as the prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, an influential role tasked with choosing new bishops. This appointment lasted until the death of his predecessor on April 21, 2025. Additionally, on September 30, 2023, Pope Francis advanced Prevost to the status of Cardinal.

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