Vatican City — Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, O.S.A., has been elected Pope Leo XIV, making history as the first Augustinian and the second American to ascend to the papacy, following Pope Francis. Unlike his predecessor from Argentina, the 69-year-old Leo XIV hails from the United States but spent much of his life in missionary service in Peru.
From Chicago to the Vatican
Born on September 14, 1955, in Chicago, Illinois, Leo XIV is the son of Louis Marius Prevost, of French and Italian heritage, and Mildred Martínez, of Spanish descent. He has two brothers, Louis Martín and John Joseph.
His religious journey began early, first at the Minor Seminary of the Augustinian Fathers and later at Villanova University in Pennsylvania, where he earned a degree in Mathematics in 1977 and also studied Philosophy. That same year, he entered the novitiate of the Order of Saint Augustine in Saint Louis, making his first vows in 1978 and his solemn profession in 1981.
He continued his theological education at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago and was sent to Rome to study Canon Law at the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum). He was ordained a priest in Rome on June 19, 1982, by Archbishop Jean Jadot.
In 1984, he earned his licentiate in Canon Law and was sent to Peru the following year to serve in the Augustinian mission in Chulucanas while preparing his doctoral thesis, which he defended in 1987. His dissertation focused on “The Role of the Local Prior in the Order of Saint Augustine.”
Decades of Service in Peru
From 1986, Prevost took on numerous roles in Peru. In Trujillo, he oversaw the formation of Augustinian candidates from several vicariates. Over the next eleven years, he served as prior, formation director, and instructor for professed members. In the Archdiocese of Trujillo, he was judicial vicar and a professor of Canon Law, Patristics, and Moral Theology at the Major Seminary of “San Carlos y San Marcelo.”
He also provided pastoral care in impoverished neighborhoods, establishing the parish of Saint Rita and administering the parish of Our Lady of Monserrat.
In 1999, Prevost was elected Provincial Prior of the Augustinian Province of “Mother of Good Counsel” in Chicago. Just two years later, he was elected Prior General of the entire Augustinian Order, a role he held for two consecutive terms until 2013.
Episcopal Ministry and Rise in the Vatican
Following his return to Chicago, Prevost resumed leadership in the Augustinian community. But in 2014, Pope Francis appointed him Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Chiclayo, Peru, and named him Titular Bishop of Sufar. He was ordained bishop on December 12, 2014, the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
His episcopal motto, In Illo uno unum (“In the one, we are one”), is drawn from a sermon by Saint Augustine, emphasizing unity in Christ.
In 2015, Prevost was appointed Bishop of Chiclayo, where he served until 2023. He was also elected vice-president of the Peruvian Episcopal Conference and held leadership roles in its commissions for Culture and Education and Economic Affairs.
Appointment as Prefect and Elevation to the Cardinalate
Pope Francis appointed Prevost Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops and President of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America on January 30, 2023, elevating him to the rank of Archbishop. In July and November of that year, he was also named a member of the Congregation for the Clergy and the Congregation for Bishops, respectively.
He was created Cardinal on September 30, 2024, receiving the Diaconate of Saint Monica, which he officially took possession of on January 28, 2024.
As Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, Cardinal Prevost played a key role in several papal appointments and participated in major events such as the Synod of Bishops on Synodality, held in two sessions in October 2023 and October 2024. He also accompanied the Holy Father on numerous apostolic journeys.
In October 2023, he was appointed to several Vatican dicasteries, including those for Evangelization, the Doctrine of the Faith, the Eastern Churches, the Clergy, Consecrated Life, Culture and Education, and Legislative Texts. He also joined the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State.
On February 6, 2025, Pope Francis promoted him to the Order of Bishops, assigning him the Suburbicarian Diocese of Albano. Just days later, he concelebrated Mass with the Holy Father during the Jubilee for the Armed Forces in St. Peter’s Square.
When Pope Francis was hospitalized in March 2025, Cardinal Prevost led a Rosary for his recovery in St. Peter’s Square—a moment that symbolized the growing significance of the American prelate within the Church.
A New Chapter in Church History
With his election as Pope Leo XIV, the Catholic Church ushers in a new era, led by a pontiff deeply rooted in Augustinian spirituality and missionary service. His journey from Chicago to the Vatican highlights a lifelong commitment to unity, formation, and service—values that are expected to shape his papacy in the years ahead.
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