The Catholic Church has made history with the election of Pope Leo XIV—born Robert Francis Prevost in Chicago in 1955—the first pontiff born in the United States of America. A significant moment for the global Church, his election marks a notable shift in the Vatican’s geographic and cultural orientation.
In his speech, given from St. Peter’s Basilica shortly after his election, he said:
“Dearest brothers and sisters, this is the first greeting of the Risen Christ, the good shepherd who gave his life for God’s flock. I too would like this greeting of peace to enter your heart, to reach your families, to all people, wherever they are, to all peoples, to the whole earth. Peace be with you!This is the peace of the Risen Christ, an unarmed and disarming peace, humble and persevering. It comes from God, God who loves us all unconditionally. We still have in our ears that weak but always courageous voice of Pope Francis who blessed Rome!
The pope who blessed Rome gave his blessing to the world, to the entire world, that Easter morning.
Allow me to follow up on that same blessing: God cares for us, God loves all of us, and evil will not prevail! We are all in God’s hands. Therefore, without fear, united hand in hand with God and among ourselves, let us move forward.
We are disciples of Christ. Christ goes before us. The world needs His light. Humanity needs Him as the bridge to reach God and His love.
Help us too, then help each other to build bridges – with dialogue, with encounter, uniting all of us to be one people always in peace. Thank you, Pope Francis!
I also want to thank all the fellow cardinals who chose me to be the Successor of Peter and to walk with you, as a united Church always seeking peace, justice – always trying to work as men and women faithful to Jesus Christ, without fear, to proclaim the Gospel, to be missionaries.
I am a son of Saint Augustine, (an) Augustinian, who said: “With you I am a Christian and for you a bishop.” In this sense, we can all walk together towards that homeland that God has prepared for us.
To the Church of Rome, a special greeting! We must seek together how to be a missionary Church, a Church that builds bridges (and) dialogue, always open to receive (people), like this square, with open arms – everyone, all those who need our charity, our presence, dialogue and love.”
A member of the Order of Saint Augustine, Pope Leo XIV brings decades of pastoral and missionary experience. After joining the Augustinians, he served extensively in Peru, where he worked as a missionary, parish priest, and theology teacher. His deep engagement with Latin American Catholicism shaped his worldview and pastoral priorities. In 2015, he was appointed Bishop of Chiclayo by Pope Francis, who later brought him to Rome to serve in key leadership positions within the Roman Curia. Most recently, he headed the Dicastery for Bishops, playing a central role in global episcopal appointments.
His choice of the name “Leo” pays deliberate homage to Pope Leo XIII, the 19th-century pontiff best known for Rerum Novarum, the encyclical that laid the foundation for Catholic social teaching and affirmed the dignity and rights of workers. By selecting this name, Pope Leo XIV signals a commitment to social justice rooted in the Church’s doctrinal heritage.
His American nationality introduces a new dynamic into Vatican diplomacy. The United States is home to about 70 million Catholics, but the faith’s most rapid growth has been in the Global South. The Church is now majority non-Western, and Leo’s challenge will be to maintain credibility with bishops in Africa, Latin America, and Asia, where views on family, sexuality, and governance often differ sharply from those in the West.
Leo’s tenure as Archbishop of Chicago included efforts to renew seminary formation, root out financial mismanagement, and support victims of clerical abuse. He implemented independent review boards and enforced the permanent removal of abusive clergy, setting a precedent for accountability.
The death of Pope Francis on March 29, 2025, at the age of 88, ended a 12-year pontificate defined by pastoral outreach, ecological advocacy, and efforts to decentralize Church authority. Francis’ legacy leaves both inspiration and division, especially among Catholics grappling with questions of doctrine, governance, and modern cultural trends. The conclave that followed revealed ongoing tensions between those who seek continuity with Francis’ pastoral vision and others who favour a firmer reassertion of doctrinal clarity.
Pope Leo XIV represents a bridge between these camps. While doctrinally orthodox, he is no ideologue. His years in Peru exposed him to the challenges of poverty, political instability, and grassroots evangelization. His administrative experience in Rome showed a steady, reform-minded approach to governance. Colleagues describe him as thoughtful, unpretentious, and committed to transparency—qualities that are likely to guide his response to the Church’s ongoing credibility crisis in the wake of abuse scandals.
As pope, Leo faces a global Catholic Church that is increasingly centered in the Global South. With explosive growth in Africa and steady Catholic majorities in Latin America and the Philippines, the Church’s future demographics contrast starkly with the declining numbers in Europe and North America. As the first American-born pope and one shaped by Latin American ministry, Leo is uniquely positioned to serve as a global pastor.
His theological positions are expected to reflect continuity with long-held Church teachings, particularly on matters of life, marriage, and sexuality. However, he has also shown openness to broader dialogue, especially around questions of ecclesial structure, lay involvement, and regional decision-making. His leadership in the Dicastery for Bishops suggests he will take episcopal appointments seriously as a means of shaping the Church’s pastoral identity.
Pope Leo XIV also inherits a complex international stage: wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, rising persecution of Christians in parts of Africa and Asia, and the tense relationship between the Vatican and China. How he navigates these issues—particularly whether he revises or maintains the 2018 Vatican-China agreement on bishop appointments—will be closely watched.
As the Church steps into a new chapter under his guidance, Pope Leo XIV embodies both tradition and mission. His American birth, Latin American formation, and Roman leadership reflect the global character of the Church he now leads. His pontificate begins with a simple but urgent task: to restore trust, rekindle faith, and renew the Church’s witness in a fractured world.
