In a historic and unexpected moment for the Catholic Church, Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost has been elected as the next pope — becoming the first American pope in the Church’s two-thousand-year history.
The election was finalized Thursday, concluding the secretive and sacred conclave in Rome, where cardinals from around the world voted to select a new spiritual leader following the end of Pope Francis’ papacy.
At 69 years old, the Chicago-born cleric is expected to serve as pope for many years to come, potentially shaping the global Church well into the 2040s.
A Name With Meaning: Pope Leo XIV
Prevost chose to be known as Pope Leo XIV, a name that’s already stirring attention. It’s a deliberate nod to Pope Leo XIII, one of the most consequential conservative thinkers of the modern papacy. Leo XIII famously authored the 1891 encyclical Rerum Novarum (“Of New Things”), a powerful condemnation of socialism and radical collectivism that remains deeply relevant today.
“[Rerum Novarum] condemned socialism,” noted Breitbart News in a retrospective on the document.
The encyclical came at a time when the industrial revolution was upending centuries of economic and social norms, birthing both new opportunities and dangerous ideologies. With growing unrest across the working class and whispers of anarchism and communism gaining ground, Leo XIII stood as a clear moral voice in support of workers’ rights without embracing the false promises of socialism.
His message was one of balance — defending human dignity and labor while rejecting class warfare and anti-Christian doctrines. It seems that by choosing the name Leo, Pope Leo XIV may be signaling a similar intent: to guide the Church with clarity through a time of great moral confusion.
Who Is Pope Leo XIV?
Robert Francis Prevost was born on September 14, 1955, in Chicago, Illinois. He joined the Order of Saint Augustine (OSA) in 1977 and took his solemn vows in 1981. The following year, he was ordained as a Catholic priest.
Prevost spent decades serving both in the U.S. and abroad, including long stretches in Peru, where he was eventually appointed the apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Chiclayo in 2014 by Pope Francis. His bilingual fluency and years spent ministering to Latin American Catholics gave him both international experience and pastoral credibility.
Now, as pope, Prevost is expected to bring a measured and thoughtful approach — one that leans traditional in certain ways but still carries forward many of Pope Francis’ priorities.
While Prevost has kept a relatively low profile on hot-button topics, some of his positions are known — and they paint a nuanced picture. According to the College of Cardinals Report:
- He’s aligned with Pope Francis on caring for the poor, environmental responsibility, and welcoming migrants.
- In a 2023 comment, he said, “The bishop is not supposed to be a little prince sitting in his kingdom,” — suggesting he values humility and pastoral presence over hierarchy.
- He supported Pope Francis’ controversial change that allows divorced and civilly remarried Catholics to receive Holy Communion.
- On issues related to LGBTQ ideology, he appears less favorable than Francis but has expressed mild support for documents like Fiducia Supplicans, which caused major backlash for allegedly opening the door to blessing same-sex couples.
One moment that stood out during his time as Bishop of Chiclayo was his firm stance against gender ideology being pushed in Peru’s schools.
“The promotion of gender ideology is confusing, because it seeks to create genders that don’t exist,” he told local media.
That kind of statement resonates with many traditional Catholics — and conservative Americans — who are deeply concerned about the push for radical gender theory in public institutions, including here in the United States.
As with many public figures, Cardinal Prevost’s rise has not been without controversy. During his time in Peru, he was accused by some of mishandling sexual abuse allegations involving two priests.
According to The New York Times, one woman alleged that Prevost failed to act against a priest accused of abuse and allowed him to continue celebrating Mass. However, supporters of Prevost have pushed back strongly, arguing the cardinal was the target of a smear campaign orchestrated by members of a local religious movement that was later disbanded by Pope Francis himself.
The Diocese of Chiclayo stated that Prevost did initiate an investigation, but that it was closed by the Vatican. When a new bishop later took over, the case was reopened. These mixed signals from Church authorities have left the situation unresolved in the public eye, but Prevost’s defenders insist he acted appropriately within the limited authority he had at the time.
Those close to the new pope describe him as more reserved than his predecessor. Unlike the outspoken and sometimes unpredictable Pope Francis, Pope Leo XIV is expected to lead with quiet strength and deep theological grounding.
“He holds himself back a bit,” said one close friend.
That could be exactly what the Church needs in this moment — a thoughtful and steady hand at the wheel, rather than one given to dramatic gestures or doctrinal ambiguity.
The election of Pope Leo XIV is not just historic — it’s potentially transformational. For the first time ever, an American sits on the Chair of St. Peter. His choice of name signals respect for tradition and conservative Catholic principles. His record suggests both pastoral sensitivity and moral clarity.
Whether you’re Catholic or not, the direction of the Catholic Church matters. With over a billion followers worldwide, the pope remains one of the most influential spiritual and moral leaders on the planet.
Will Pope Leo XIV steer the Church back toward timeless truth in an age of confusion? Time will tell — but his name alone is a powerful start.
