Pope Leo XIV first American pope
- paulette275
- May 8
- 1 min read
Updated: May 9
Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost became the successor to Pope Francis on Thursday, May 8, when he was elected by the College of Cardinals. He chose the papal name Leo XIV. He is the 267th and first American pontiff in Catholic church history.
Pope Leo is a priest in the Order of St. Augustine. He attended the Minor Seminary of the Augustinian Fathers and Villanova University in Pennsylvania, which was founded on the teachings of Augustine. He earned a master of divinity degree from Catholic Theological Union in Chicago.
As an Augustinian friar, Pope Leo served his priestly ministry primarily as a missionary, including more than 20 years in Peru. In 2015 he was appointed bishop of Chiclayo in northwestern Peru. In 2023 Pope Francis appointed him cardinal.
A native of Chicago, Ill., Pope Leo has dual Peruvian nationality. He is 69 years old.
His papal proclamation began with the words: “Peace be with you."
— Paulette Peynet
