By The newly elected Pope Leo XIV, formerly Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, marks a historic moment in Catholic history as the first Pope from the Augustinian Order and only the second Roman Pontiff from the Americas, following Pope Francis. Unlike his predecessor who hails from Argentina, Pope Leo XIV is originally from the United States.
Born on September 14, 1955, in Chicago, Illinois, to Louis Marius Prevost and Mildred Martínez, Pope Leo XIV was raised in a multicultural family of French, Italian, and Spanish descent alongside his two brothers. His early education took place at a minor seminary run by the Augustinians, followed by studies at Villanova University in Pennsylvania, where he earned a degree in Mathematics and began studying philosophy.
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In 1977, he joined the Augustinian Order, making his first profession the following year and solemn vows in 1981. After completing theological studies at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, he was sent to Rome to pursue a doctorate in Canon Law at the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum). He was ordained a priest in Rome on June 19, 1982, at the age of 26.
Prevost’s early ministry took him to Peru, where he served as a missionary for over a decade. From 1985 to 1999, he worked extensively in the Archdiocese of Trujillo, taking on roles such as judicial vicar, professor of theology and Canon Law, and parish priest in underserved communities. He was instrumental in the formation of young Augustinians and helped develop pastoral programs for the region.
In 1999, Prevost was elected Provincial Prior of the Augustinian Province in Chicago, and shortly thereafter, he was elected as the worldwide head of the Augustinians—a position he held for two terms until 2013. After returning to the United States briefly, he was appointed by Pope Francis in 2014 as Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Chiclayo, Peru, and was consecrated Bishop on December 12 of that year.
He led the Diocese of Chiclayo from 2015 to 2023 and played a key role in the Peruvian Episcopal Conference, serving as second vice-president and heading committees on culture and education. During this time, he also held administrative oversight for the Diocese of Callao.
In 2019, Pope Francis appointed him to the Congregation for the Clergy, and later to the Congregation for Bishops in 2020. By January 2023, he had been called to Rome to lead the Dicastery for Bishops, one of the most influential offices in the Vatican. He was also named President of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America and elevated to the rank of Archbishop.
He was made a Cardinal on September 30, 2024, and assigned the titular church of Saint Monica. In early 2025, he was promoted to the Order of Bishops and given the title of the Suburbicarian Church of Albano.
Throughout his Vatican career, Pope Leo XIV has been deeply involved in Pope Francis’s Synod of Bishops on synodality, participated in major papal journeys, and was an active presence during key liturgical and pastoral events, including leading public prayers during Pope Francis’s hospitalization in March 2025.
Now at 69, Pope Leo XIV brings decades of missionary experience, academic scholarship, and pastoral leadership to the papacy, promising to build on the legacy of his predecessors while embodying the values of humility, unity, and service that have defined his Augustinian roots.
