Chicago-born cardinal makes history as first American pope, pledges to lead with humility and unity
By Richard Luthmann
WHITE SMOKE RISES
White smoke rose from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel at 6:42 PM local time, signaling that the College of Cardinals had elected a new pope.
Minutes later, Cardinal Angelo De Donatis appeared on the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica and delivered the traditional announcement: “Habemus Papam.”
Cardinal Robert Prevost of the United States has been elected as the new pope and has taken the name Leo XIV.
He is the first American-born pontiff in the history of the Roman Catholic Church.
HABEMUS PAPAM AMERICANUM: FROM CHICAGO TO THE VATICAN
Robert Prevost was born in Chicago in 1955. He joined the Order of Saint Augustine and earned degrees from Villanova University, Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, and the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome.
In 1985, Prevost began missionary work in Peru, where he served in a variety of roles including diocesan seminary professor, judicial vicar, and parish priest in Trujillo.
He led the worldwide Augustinian order from 2001 to 2013 and was appointed Bishop of Chiclayo, Peru in 2014 by Pope Francis.
In 2023, Pope Francis named him prefect of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Bishops, making him responsible for episcopal appointments around the world.
HABEMUS PAPAM AMERICANUM: A RECORD OF GLOBAL EXPERIENCE
Prevost has spent most of his life outside the United States, working in Latin America, Europe, and traveling extensively as head of the Augustinian order.
He is fluent in English, Spanish, Italian, French, and Portuguese, and can read Latin and German.
His tenure at the Dicastery for Bishops has emphasized pastoral leadership.
In a 2023 Vatican News interview, he said, “We are often worried about teaching doctrine, but we risk forgetting that our first duty is to communicate the beauty and joy of knowing Jesus.”
NAME CHOICE: LEO XIV
By selecting the name Leo XIV, Prevost becomes the first pontiff to use the name since Leo XIII, who served from 1878 to 1903.
The choice may reflect a connection to Leo XIII’s focus on social issues and intellectual engagement with modernity.
Prevost’s leadership style has been described as deliberate and reserved. He has supported synodality, an initiative of Pope Francis aimed at making the Church more inclusive and participatory.
He is also known for his administrative competence and work on sensitive personnel issues within the Church hierarchy.
HABEMUS PAPAM AMERICANUM: A NEW CHAPTER FOR THE CHURCH
The election follows the death of Pope Francis on April 21, 2025.
Prevost was considered a strong candidate due to his blend of pastoral and administrative experience, global background, and alignment with Francis’s reform-minded agenda.
The papal conclave began on May 7 and concluded swiftly, indicating a high degree of consensus among the cardinal electors.
As Pope Leo XIV gave his first Urbi et Orbi blessing, the crowd in St. Peter’s Square applauded the historic moment.
The Church now enters a new era under the leadership of a pope with deep international experience and a commitment to Francis’s vision of a pastoral and inclusive Church.
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