Everything to know about Pope Leo XIV: How Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost became the first American pope in Catholic history

In a landmark moment for the Catholic Church and U.S. religious history, Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost has been elected as the next pope, taking the name Pope Leo XIV. His election on the second day of conclave proceedings marks the first time an American has been chosen to lead the 1.3 billion-strong global Catholic community.

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‎Newly elected Pope Leo XIV, Robert Prevost arrives on the main central loggia balcony of the St Peter's Basilica for the first time, after the cardinals ended the conclave, in The Vatican, on May 8, 2025.

‎Alberto Pizzoli/AFP—Getty Images

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‎The 69-year-old prelate, originally from Chicago, brings a deeply international perspective to the papacy. Though born in the United States, Prevost has spent decades serving abroad—most notably in Peru, where he became a respected bishop, and later in Rome, where he has held several high-ranking roles within the Vatican Curia.

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‎The conclave, held under strict secrecy in the Sistine Chapel, concluded swiftly, with Prevost receiving the requisite two-thirds majority vote from among the 133 eligible cardinal electors. Vatican sources cite his experience, theological balance, and cross-cultural fluency as key reasons for his swift ascent to the papacy.

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‎Known for his pragmatic approach and diplomatic temperament, Pope Leo XIV is seen as a potential interlocutor with global political figures—including former U.S. President Donald Trump. However, tensions may emerge over immigration policy, where the new pope's pro-migrant stance is at odds with Trump-era hardline positions.

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‎Pope Leo XIV’s election is widely viewed as a symbolic bridge between the traditionally Eurocentric leadership of the Church and its increasingly global flock. His choice of the name “Leo” evokes historical continuity, referencing Pope Leo XIII, a social reformer and modernizer.

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‎As the world awaits his first public address, the new pontiff’s direction will shape not only Church doctrine but also its role in global moral leadership in a time of cultural and political division. NA