Biography of Pope Leo XIV
Robert Francis Prevost became Pope Leo XIV on May 8, 2025, taking leadership of the Catholic Church following the death of Pope Francis. Leo XIV became the first American pontiff in history.
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Childhood and Family
The future Pope was born on September 14, 1955, in Chicago, Illinois. His father, Louis Marius Prevost, was half French and half Italian and worked in school administration, while his mother, Mildred Martinez from Spain, was a librarian. The new head of the Catholic Church also has African and Caribbean roots.Besides Robert, the family had two other boys, Louis and John.
Robert's childhood—or Rob as he was called back then—unfolded in the village of Dolton, south of Chicago. He grew up as an ordinary boy, went to school, and attended church. Like any kid, he occasionally got into scuffles with his brothers. Louis, the older brother, recalled once pushing little Rob down the stairs.
Even as a child, Robert loved playing priest, and his family joked about him becoming Pope someday. The joke turned out to be prophetic.
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people.com
Education
After studying at an Augustinian minor seminary and graduating in 1973, Robert enrolled at a private university in a northwestern suburb of Philadelphia, earning his Bachelor's degree in Mathematics four years later.Later, he earned a Master's degree in Theology at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, followed by a Doctorate at the Pontifical University in Rome.
Catholic Church
Prevost entered the novitiate of the Order of Saint Augustine in St. Louis on September 1, 1977, within the Province of Our Lady of Good Counsel in Chicago. On September 2, 1978, he took his first vow. On August 29, 1981, he made his solemn vows.In 1982, Prevost became a priest of the Order of Saint Augustine. Three years later, he joined an Augustinian mission in Peru. Later, he led the seminary in the Peruvian city of Trujillo, teaching canon law.
Prevost also served as a church court judge while heading a community on the city's outskirts. He spent ten years in Peru and obtained local citizenship.
In 1988, he led the Augustinian Province of Chicago. His tenure was marked by a controversial case. The future Pope allowed Father James Ray, accused of child abuse, to live in the Augustinian monastery in Chicago, despite a nearby Catholic elementary school.
The school administration was not informed by the Order about Ray's presence in the monastery. The priest remained there for two years before leaving when church authorities tightened requirements for accused clergy like Ray.
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Later, he joined the Congregation for the Clergy and then the Congregation for Bishops. From 2013 to 2023, he was the bishop of the Peruvian province of Chiclayo.
In 2023, he was appointed Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, responsible for appointing the highest-ranking clergy in the Christian church. This dramatically boosted Prevost's influence within the church hierarchy. In the same year, he became a cardinal.
Personal Life
Pope Leo XIV is a big sports fan. He enjoys tennis, basketball, and also baseball. He also enjoys casual games like Wordle (where you guess a five-letter word in six tries) and Words with Friends (similar to Scrabble).Robert Prevost is fluent in English, Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian. He can also communicate in Russian and even speaks Quechua, a South American indigenous language.
Robert Prevost Now
On May 8, 2025, after a two-day conclave, 69-year-old Prevost was elected the new Pope, despite not being initially considered among the favorites.He became the 267th pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church and chose the name Leo XIV. Many viewed this as a tribute to Leo XIII (who led the Catholic Church from 1878 to 1903). That Pope consistently championed the poor and defended the working class.
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wikipedia.org
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The new Pope believes that a bishop's role is not to be an administrator but primarily a shepherd. He also believes that when selecting bishops, the Church should give more weight to input from spiritual leaders and laypeople, while stopping short of making it a democratic election.Before his papal election, he opposed women serving as deacons, though he acknowledged they could play vital roles in Church life.
Prevost previously opposed gender ideology programs in Peruvian schools.
On homosexuality, he said people shouldn't be excluded from the Church because of their orientation, just as they shouldn't be turned away for their job, how they dress, or any other reason.
In his first Sunday sermon as Pope, Prevost declared the need to resolve international conflicts. He specifically called for urgent peace in Ukraine, the release of all prisoners, and the swift return of children to their families.
He plans to continue Pope Francis's efforts to democratize the Church. Francis worked to make the Catholic Church more open to laypeople and wanted to end the practice of bishops making policy decisions behind closed doors.