Who’s the brand new pope? American Cardinal Robert Prevost turns into Pope Leo XIV

After lower than 24 hours of seclusion within the Vatican, cardinals ended the 2025 papal conclave with the election of a brand new pontiff. The person chosen, Cardinal Robert Prevost, will probably be often known as Pope Leo XIV — the primary pope ever from america. 

Here is what to learn about him.

The place is Pope Leo XIV from?

Pope Leo XIV was born Robert Francis Prevost in Chicago, Illinois, in 1955. He’s the primary U.S. pope within the church’s historical past, and can be a citizen of Peru, the place he labored for a few years.

CBS Information Chicago studies he grew up in south suburban Dolton and has two brothers. A girl who knew him in childhood says the Prevost household was very lively of their church.

“His household was very, very religious Catholics. I’ll say that. The mother and pa each have been,” Linda Jorsch advised the station. “They by no means missed church, they usually have been very lively inside our parish. His mother was like a member of the Altar & Rosary Society. They have been lectors of their church — very lively, very religious household.”

He graduated from Villanova College in Pennsylvania with a level in arithmetic, then studied theology on the Catholic Theological Union of Chicago, the place he earned a Grasp’s of Divinity. 

When he was 27, he was despatched to Rome to review, and he was ordained as a priest in 1982. He went on to earn a doctorate in canon regulation from the Pontifical Faculty of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome.

“My expertise of Cardinal Prevost was that he is not a showboat.” a seminary classmate, Father Mark R. Francis, CSV, provincial of the Viatorians in america, advised CBS Information Chicago. “He is very calm, however extraordinarily clever, and intensely compassionate.”

Pope Leo XIV has voted in U.S. elections

The brand new pope is registered to vote within the Chicago suburbs, and voting information obtained by CBS Information present he is voted in a number of basic elections — together with each Democratic and Republican primaries.

He voted within the 2024 basic election, in addition to within the 2012, 2008, 2004 and 2000 cycles, based on the information. He additionally forged ballots within the 2016 and 2012 Republican presidential primaries, and voted within the 2008 and 2010 Democratic primaries.

What’s Pope Leo XIV’s background within the church?

After his ordination, Prevost went to work as a missionary Peru. He returned to the U.S. for just a few years after which went again to Peru, the place he ran an Augustinian seminary in Trujillo.

In 2014, he was appointed apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Chiclayo in Peru by Pope Francis, based on the Vatican. A 12 months later, he turned a bishop.

Pope Francis made him a cardinal in 2023.

Earlier than turning into pope, Prevost, who’s 69, was the pinnacle of the church’s Dicastery for Bishops, which means he oversaw the collection of new bishops.

Total, he is thought of a centrist, however on many social points he is seen as progressive, embracing marginalized teams like Francis, who championed migrants and the poor. However Prevost opposes ordaining girls as deacons, for example, so he is seen as conservative on church doctrine.

“He saved a low profile on probably the most contentious, nerualgic, delicate, controversial points” dealing with the church, mentioned CBS Information papal contributor Francis X. Rocca.

Pope Leo XIV congratulated by President Trump, Chicago mayor

President Trump posted a message on social media congratulating the primary U.S.-born pope.

“Congratulations to Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, who was simply named Pope. It’s such an honor to appreciate that he’s the primary American Pope. What pleasure, and what a Nice Honor for our Nation. I stay up for assembly Pope Leo XIV. Will probably be a really significant second!” he wrote.

Former President Barack Obama additionally shared his finest needs for “a fellow Chicagoan.” 

“Michelle and I ship our congratulations to a fellow Chicagoan, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV. This can be a historic day for america, and we are going to pray for him as he begins the sacred work of main the Catholic Church and setting an instance for thus many, no matter religion,” Obama wrote.

In Prevost’s hometown, Chicago, many individuals celebrated his election, with Mayor Brandon Johnson tweeting: “All the things dope, together with the Pope, comes from Chicago!” 

“Congratulations to the primary American Pope Leo XIV! We hope to welcome you again dwelling quickly,” Johnson wrote.

Why did Pope Leo XIV select his title?

The primary act of a brand new pope after he is elected is to decide on a brand new title. That is to indicate that his turning into pontiff is akin to a second beginning, the Vatican mentioned.

Cardinal Prevost selected the papal title Leo, one of many extra well-liked decisions in historical past, which has been utilized by 13 earlier popes. The newest one, Pope Leo XIII, served from 1878 to 1903. 

“The title Leo harkens again to Pope Leo the Nice,” CBS Information papal contributor Candida Moss defined. Also called Pope Leo I, his papacy was from 440 to 461 and included a well-known assembly with Attila the Hun the place Leo dissuaded him from attacking Rome.

“What does this imply for our new pope? Properly, it would imply that he too goes to face as much as oppressive political forces on the planet,” Moss mentioned. 

She famous that Leo I used to be also called “an awesome mental and theological reformer.” 

The title a brand new pope chooses usually displays attributes they hope to embody of their papacy. 

It should “point out a sure spirit and path and imaginative and prescient of the brand new pope,” mentioned Dennis Doyle, a theologian and professor emeritus of spiritual research on the College of Dayton. 

Pope Francis, for instance, was the primary pope in historical past to take that title, a nod to St. Francis of Assisi. In Catholic custom, St. Francis of Assisi had a mystical imaginative and prescient of Jesus, who advised him to rebuild his church. He additionally renounced his wealth and based the Franciscan order of friars in 1290.

contributed to this report.