Robert Francis Prevost has been elected as the first American pope and will take the papal name Leo XIV.
In his first remarks delivered in Italian, Pope Leo XIV expressed a message of peace, saying he hopes it will “enter your hearts, to reach your families and all people, wherever they are.”
Paying tribute to his predecessor, Pope Francis, he urged the faithful to “move forward, without fear, united, hand in hand with God and with each other.” He also thanked the College of Cardinals for entrusting him with the papacy.
The name Leo carries deep historical resonance the last pope to bear it, Leo XIII, was elected in 1878 and served until his death in 1903.
Profile: Robert Francis Prevost
Prevost’s election is notable given the Vatican’s traditional hesitance toward a pope from the United States, largely due to the country’s superpower status and strong secular influence.
A Chicago native, Prevost is considered a moderate and has held several key roles within the Church. He was made a cardinal by Pope Francis in 2023 and previously led the Augustinian order. He also served as the bishop of Chiclayo in northern Peru, gaining extensive missionary experience.
His appointment to the influential Dicastery for Bishops, which oversees the selection of bishops globally, further raised his profile and may have eased concerns among cardinals reluctant to support an American candidate.
