Pope Leo XIV facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Leo XIV |
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| Bishop of Rome | |
Prevost in 2014
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| Church | Catholic Church |
| Papacy began | May 8, 2025 |
| Predecessor | Francis |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | June 19, 1982 |
| Consecration | December 12, 2014 by James Patrick Green |
| Created Cardinal | September 30, 2023 |
| Rank | Cardinal Bishop |
| Personal details | |
| Birth name | Robert Francis Prevost |
| Born | September 14, 1955 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
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| Education |
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| Motto | In illo Uno unum (Latin for 'In the One, one') |
| Coat of arms |  |
| Other Popes named Leo | |
| Papal styles of Pope Leo XIV |
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| Reference style | His Holiness |
| Spoken style | Your Holiness |
| Religious style | Holy Father |
Pope Leo XIV (born Robert Francis Prevost; September 14, 1955) is the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City. He is the first North American to be elected pope, and the first pope to come from an English-speaking country since Adrian IV, as well as the first American and Peruvian pope. He is the first pope to come from the Order of Saint Augustine, and the seventh Augustinian pope more generally.
Born in Chicago, Illinois, Prevost spent the early part of his clerical career there working for the Order of Saint Augustine. Part of the Augustinian mission, he served in Peru from 1985 to 1986 and from 1988 to 1998 as a parish pastor, diocesan official, seminary teacher and administrator. He then went to Rome when he was elected Prior General of the Order of Saint Augustine from 2001 to 2013.
Pope Francis named Prevost the Bishop of Chiclayo on his return to Peru, where he served from 2015 to 2023. He was made a cardinal in 2023. He was appointed Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, a prominent role that raised his profile as a potential papal candidate, and president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America also in 2023.
Following the death of Francis in April 2025, the 2025 papal conclave elected Leo XIV as Francis' successor on May 8, on the fourth ballot.
Contents
Early life and education
Robert Francis Prevost was born at Mercy Hospital in Chicago on September 14, 1955, the son of Louis Marius Prevost and Mildred Martínez. His father, who was a United States Navy veteran of World War II and school administrator, was of French and Italian descent, and his mother, a librarian, was of Spanish descent. Prevost has two brothers.
Raised in Dolton, Illinois, a nearby suburb, Prevost served as an altar boy at St. Mary of the Assumption Church on the far South Side of Chicago. He completed his secondary studies at the St. Augustine Seminary High School in 1973. While a senior there, he was given a Letter of Commendation for high performance, and was consistently on the Honor Roll. He served as a yearbook editor-in-chief and secretary of the Student Council, and was a member of the National Honor Society. During his time as editor of the yearbook, it placed second in the 39th annual yearbook critique sponsored by Columbia University. Prevost earned a Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics at Villanova University in 1977.
Prevost speaks English, Spanish, Italian, French, and Portuguese, and can read Latin and German. He has written concerning various philosophical topics including the philosophy of religion.
Augustinian (1977–2025)
Deciding to become a priest, Prevost joined the Order of St. Augustine in September 1977, taking his first vows in September 1978 and his solemn vows in August 1981. The following year, he was awarded a Master of Divinity degree from the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. While there, he occasionally substituted as a physics teacher at St. Rita of Cascia High School and taught math part-time.
Prevost was ordained a priest by Archbishop Jean Jadot for the Augustinians in Rome on June 19, 1982. He earned a Licentiate of Canon Law in 1984 and a Doctor of Canon Law degree in 1987 from the Pontifical College of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome.
Prevost joined the Augustinian mission in Peru in 1985 and served as chancellor of the Territorial Prélature of Chulucanas from 1985 to 1986. He returned to Peru in 1988, spending the next ten years heading the Augustinian seminary in Trujillo. He also taught canon law in the diocesan seminary and served as prefect of studies. Prevost served as judge of the regional ecclesiastical court and a member of the College of Consultors of Trujillo. He also led a congregation on the outskirts of the city.
In 1998, Prevost was elected provincial of the Augustinian Province of Chicago and returned to the United States to assume that position on March 8, 1999.
In 2001, Prevost was elected to a six-year term as Prior General of the Augustinians. He was elected to a second six-year term in 2007. From 2013 to 2014, Prevost served as director of formation in the Convent of St. Augustine in Chicago, as well as first councilor and provincial vicar of the province of Our Mother of Good Counsel, which covers the midwestern United States.
Bishop of Chiclayo (2014–2023)
On November 3, 2014, Pope Francis appointed Prevost as apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Chiclayo in Peru and titular bishop of Sufar. He received his episcopal consecration on December 12, 2014, at St. Mary's Cathedral in Chiclayo. On September 26, 2015, he was named bishop of Chiclayo. Prevost also became a Peruvian citizen in 2015.
On July 13, 2019, Prevost was appointed a member of the Congregation for the Clergy in Rome. On April 15, 2020, he was named apostolic administrator of Callao in Peru. On November 21, 2020, Francis named him a member of the Congregation for Bishops.
Within the Episcopal Conference of Peru, Prevost served on the permanent council for the 2018 to 2020 term. He was elected in 2019 as president of its Commission for Education and Culture. He was also a member of the leadership of Caritas Peru. Prevost had a private audience with Francis on March 1, 2021, fueling speculation of a new assignment either in Chicago or Rome.
Dicastery for Bishops (2023–2025)
On January 30, 2023, Francis appointed Prevost prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops with the title archbishop-bishop emeritus of Chiclayo. At the September 30 consistory, Francis appointed him cardinal-deacon of Chapel of Santa Monica degli Agostiniani in Rome. As prefect he held a key position within the Roman Curia. The office is responsible for evaluating and recommending candidates for the episcopate around the world. This role increased Prevost's visibility and influence within the Catholic Church, raising his profile ahead of any future papal conclave.
On February 6, 2025, Francis promoted Prevost to cardinal-bishop, assigning him to the Suburbicarian Diocese of Albano in the Province of Rome.
Papacy (2025–present)
On May 8, 2025, the second day of the 2025 papal conclave, Prevost was elected the first pope from North America. He assumed the papal name Leo XIV, following on from Leo XIII in 1903. He is the first pope to belong to the Order of Saint Augustine, according to the Vatican. After he accepted the election as Pope, he embraced the cardinals as soon as he exited the Chapel. About an hour after the appearance of white smoke from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel, Cardinal Dominique Mamberti, protodeacon of the College of Cardinals, delivered the traditional Habemus Papam announcement. From the central loggia of Saint Peter's Basilica, he pronounced Prevost's full name and chosen papal name. Pope Leo XIV then appeared on the balcony in traditional papal vestments to greet the gathered crowds, gave his first address in both Italian and Spanish, then imparted his very first Urbi et Orbi blessing.
Personal life
Prevost has two brothers, Louis and John. His mother, Mildred, died on June 18, 1990. His father, Louis, died on November 8, 1997.
As a cardinal, Prevost considered himself an amateur tennis player, and when he was assigned to Rome he stated he looked forward to perhaps having more opportunities to practice than he did in Peru. He is reportedly a fan of the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball.
See also
In Spanish: León XIV para niños
- Cardinals created by Francis
- Pope Leo – list of popes of this name
- List of popes
