Robert Prevost Elected As First American Pope

Pope Leo XIV is originally from Chicago but has dual citizenship in the U.S. and Peru.

Catholic Cardinals broke tradition after selecting a new Pope Thursday.

69-year-old Robert Prevost is now the 267th pontiff to lead the Catholic church. He is a member of the Augustinian Order who spent his career ministering in Peru.

Prevost took the name Pope Leo XIV and became the first American to take on the position. He is originally from Chicago but has dual citizenship in the U.S. and Peru.

Former Pope Francis brought Prevost into the Vatican in 2023 to serve as the powerful head of the office that vets bishop nominations from around the world.

During his first speech, Pope Leo said, “Together, we must try to find out how to be a missionary church, a church that builds bridges, establishes dialogue, that’s always open to receive, like on this Piazza with open arms, to be able to receive everybody that needs our charity, our presence, dialogue and love.”