Off The Record
Chicago-Born Robert Prevost Becomes Pope Leo XIV— Here’s What You Need To Know
The first American to hold the position of head of the Roman Catholic Church is Pope Leo XIV.
Two days into the election process, the papal conclave concluded its highly secret meeting from the Sistine Chapel and formally selected the successor of the late Pope Francis.
Earlier today (Thursday, May 8), Vatican officials declared from the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica that Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost had accepted the prestigious role of Pope Leo XIV, the 267th pope, while white smoke billowed from the structure.
What we know about him is as follows…
At 69, Prevost is relatively young for a pope and was born in Chicago, close to Dolton, Illinois. He is the first American to hold the position, which President Donald Trump has hailed as “such an honour.”
But after being ordained in 1982, he lived in Peru for the majority of the 1980s and 1990s, according to Newsweek.
After graduating from the Pontifical College of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome with a doctorate in canon law, Leo obtained naturalisation from Peru and worked in clerical positions as a parish priest, diocesan official, seminary teacher, and administrator.
Known for his ability to speak Spanish and Italian fluently, he went on to become the Bishop of Chiclayo in Peru from 2015 to 2023 before being made a cardinal.
The former pope, who was close to Pope Francis, also appointed Leo to two positions in the Vatican: first, as the apostolic administrator of the diocese of Callao, Peru, in 2020, and second, as a Prefect in the Dicastery for Bishops, the Vatican office that oversees episcopal appointments worldwide, in 2023.
He was therefore a perfect fit for the papal conclave that convened this week to cast its votes.
Pope Leo hails from a more centrist stance, whereas Pope Francis was acknowledged for his progressive outlook.
He stands for the ‘dignified middle of the road,’ according to Rev. Michele Falcone, a priest of the Order of St. Augustine, who spoke to The New York Times.
Nevertheless, according to ABC News, Pope Leo XIII, who presided over the Catholic Church from 1878 until his death in 1903, is credited with helping to establish the Catholic social justice tradition. Leo is the sixth most prevalent name selected by popes.
When the new pope addressed the enthusiastic audience at St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City during his first balcony address, he said, “Peace be with you.”
International charity for development According to Cafod, Pope Leo offers “a voice of wisdom in a fractured and divided world,” highlighting his efforts as a missionary in Peru to “elevate voices from the margins to centre stage” and bring the “vital perspective of the global south” into his pontificate.
In an interview with Vatican News last year, Pope Leo emphasised his service to the church and the weak, saying, “The bishop is not supposed to be a little prince sitting in his kingdom, but rather called authentically to be humble, to be close to the people he serves, to walk with them, to suffer with them.”
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