Robert Francis Prevost, the newly elected first Pope from the United States, brings a background of missionary work in Peru combined with a strong understanding of the Catholic Church’s internal operations.
The Chicago-born Leo XIV was previously entrusted by Pope Francis to lead the influential Dicastery for Bishops, the body responsible for advising the Pope on the appointment of new bishops.
This sign of confidence from Francis highlights Prevost’s dedication to serving the “peripheries” during his time as a missionary in Peru – the marginalized communities far from Rome that Francis has prioritized.
It also reflects Prevost’s reputation as a unifier and a moderate figure within the Curia, the Vatican’s administrative body.
The 69-year-old Archbishop-Bishop emeritus of Chiclayo, Peru, was elevated to Cardinal by Francis in 2023 after being appointed prefect of the dicastery, a crucial Vatican department that provided him with connections to key figures throughout the Church.
Vatican observers had considered Prevost a leading contender among US cardinals for the papacy, citing his pastoral experience, global perspective, and ability to navigate the central bureaucracy.
The Italian newspaper La Repubblica even described him as “the least American of the Americans” due to his gentle approach.
His solid foundation in canon law is also seen as reassuring to more conservative cardinals seeking a greater emphasis on theological matters.
Following Pope Francis’s death, Prevost emphasized the ongoing work of the Church, stating, “We can’t stop, we can’t turn back. We have to see how the Holy Spirit wants the Church to be today and tomorrow, because today’s world, in which the Church lives, is not the same as the world of ten or 20 years ago.”
He told Vatican News last month that “The message is always the same: proclaim Jesus Christ, proclaim the Gospel, but the way to reach today’s people, young people, the poor, politicians, is different.”
Born on September 14, 1955, in Chicago, Prevost attended a minor seminary of the Order of St Augustine in St Louis and later graduated with a mathematics degree from Villanova University, an Augustinian institution in Philadelphia.
He obtained a master’s degree in divinity from Chicago’s Catholic Theological Union in 1982 and a doctorate in canon law in Rome.
A polyglot, he joined the Augustinians in Peru in 1985 for the first of his decade-long missionary assignments in the country.
Returning to Chicago in 1999, he became the provincial prior of the Augustinians in the US Midwest and subsequently the prior general of the order worldwide. However, he returned to Peru in 2014 when Pope Francis appointed him as the apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Chiclayo.
Nearly a decade later, Prevost’s appointment as head of the Dicastery for Bishops in 2023 followed the resignation of Canadian Cardinal Marc Ouellet due to age and after accusations of sexual assault (a case later dropped by the Vatican for insufficient evidence).
Prevost also holds the position of president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America.
Join Informant Online WhatsApp Channel With Link Below: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaihFajBadmT29ufud2
