Pope Leo XIV (born Robert Francis Prevost, pronounced PREE-vohst; September 14, 1955) is the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City. Born in Chicago, United States, Prevost became a friar in the Order of Saint Augustine in 1977 and was ordained as a priest in 1982. He earned a Doctor of Canon Law (JCD) degree in 1987 from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome. His service includes extensive missionary work in Peru in the 1980s and 1990s, during which he worked as a parish pastor, diocesan official, seminary teacher, and administrator. Elected prior general of the Order of Saint Augustine, he was based in Rome from 2001 to 2013, and traveled extensively as part of this work, including to the order's many provinces and missions around the world. He then returned to Peru as Bishop of Chiclayo from 2015 to 2023, and became a Peruvian citizen. In 2023, Pope Francis appointed him prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops in Rome, and president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America. Upon his return to Rome, Prevost was made a cardinal. As a cardinal, Prevost emphasized synodality, missionary dialogue, and engagement with social and technological challenges. He has also addressed issues such as climate change, international migration, church governance, and human rights. Prevost's election in the 2025 conclave was unexpected by observers; he was a dark horse candidate, with Vatican insiders believing the prospect of a pope from the United States to be unrealistic given its status as a superpower. He is the first pope to have been born in the United States, and the first to be a citizen of Peru. He is also the first pope from the Order of Saint Augustine. Following the precedent of Pope Leo XIII, who developed modern Catholic social teaching amid the tumult of the Second Industrial Revolution, Prevost chose the papal name Leo XIV—both to echo Leo XIII's concern for workers and fairness, and as a response to the challenges of a new industrial revolution and artificial intelligence. As pope, Leo has consistently opposed armed conflict and nationalism while advocating for the rights of immigrants. He has introduced new warnings about the use of artificial intelligence technology. Leo has affirmed the teachings of his predecessors, including social teachings and the climate policy of Pope Francis. He has consistently pointed to the teachings of the Second Vatican Council as the "guiding star" of the church. In 2026, he confronted the second Écône consecrations, which resulted in renewed excommunications and schism with the Society of St. Pius X.
Early life, family, and education (1955–1973)
Background and ancestry
Robert Francis Prevost was born on September 14, 1955, at Mercy Hospital in the Bronzeville neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois, on the city's South Side. He is of French, Italian, Spanish, and Louisiana Creole descent. His father, Louis Marius Prevost, was born in Chicago and grew up in Hyde Park. Louis's father and mother were immigrants from Italy and France, respectively. He was a United States Navy veteran of World War II. He earned a Master of Education from DePaul University and later became superintendent of Brookwood School District 167 in Glenwood, Illinois. Prevost's mother, Mildred Agnes Prevost (née Martínez), was also born in Chicago, into a mixed-race Black Creole family from Louisiana. Her ancestors included both slaves and slave owners. She graduated from DePaul with a bachelor's in library science and a Master of Education, becoming an educator and a librarian, including at Mendel Catholic High School.
Early life and schooling
Known as "Rob" to his family and "Bob" to friends as an adult, Prevost was raised in Dolton, Illinois, a suburb bordering the far South Side; his childhood home was purchased by the Village of Dolton after he became pope. He grew up in the parish of St. Mary of the Assumption in nearby Riverdale, Chicago. Prevost has two older brothers, Louis Martín and John Joseph. His parents were practicing Catholics who were very involved in the parish: Louis was a catechist—a teacher of the faith—and Mildred was an active member of the Rosary and Altar Society, sang in the church choir, provided services for the church, and went to daily Mass. According to Leo, he was greatly influenced by his parents' faith. His mother would call him and his brothers to go to Mass before school at 6:30 a.m. and told them Jesus "is your best friend," and Mass was "a way to find that friend." Prevost went to the parish Catholic school and served as a choirboy and altar boy. Prevost aspired to the priesthood from a young age and would play-act the Mass at home with his brothers. He decided to enter the Augustinian order in the eighth grade after visits by priests of multiple different religious orders to the family home, later saying the Salesians of Don Bosco "came in second place". From 1969 to 1973, Prevost attended St. Augustine Seminary High School, a minor seminary near Saugatuck, Michigan; his brother John recalled how, from the end of eighth grade on, and especially after joining the Order of Saint Augustine, until their later adulthood when leave allowed them to reconnect, Prevost was hardly at home or with their family. At the Augustinian seminary, he earned a letter of commendation for academic excellence, consistently appeared on the honor roll, served as yearbook editor in chief, and was secretary of the student council and a member of the National Honor Society. He captained the bowling team and headed the speech and debate team, competing in Congressional Debate. Well-liked and highly intelligent, Prevost had a reputation for helping other students as a tutor. Out of several dozen who entered the school with him, Prevost was one of only 13 students in his class to graduate.
University, seminary, and early priesthood (1973–1998)
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