Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost was elected Pope on May 8, 2025 (local time), taking the name Leo XIV.
Pope Leo XIV is the Church’s first Augustinian Pope, and the first born in North America.
The future Pope was born and raised in Chicago in the United States in 1955. At 27, he was sent to Rome to study Canon Law at the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum). Later, he served a mission in Peru, and became the Bishop of Chiclayo.
In 2023, then-Pope Francis called him to Rome to serve as Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops and President of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America. Later appointed by Francis as Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, he became a Cardinal in 2024.
When Pope Francis was hospitalised in early 2025, the future Pope Leo XIV presided over the Rosary for Pope Francis’s health in Saint Peter’s Square.
A Pope of peace
Pope Leo XIV calls us to pray for peace in a world in the midst of storms. The new Pope’s first words when addressing the world from the Central Loggia of St Peter’s Basilica not long after his election were “Peace be with you!”
He also said:
“God loves us, all of us, evil will not prevail. We are all in the hands of God. Without fear, united, hand in hand with God and among ourselves, we will go forward. We are disciples of Christ, Christ goes before us, and the world needs His light. Humanity needs Him like a bridge to reach God and His love. You help us to build bridges with dialogue and encounter so we can all be one people always in peace.”
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- Pope: Sense of belonging more important than numbers of people in Churchon January 13, 2026 at 4:15 pm
In the January edition of the Piazza San Pietro magazine, Pope Leo XIV encourages a Swiss catechist struggling to get families involved in her parish by saying that “hours dedicated to catechesis are never wasted”. Read all
- Mozambique: Church in Nampula seeks self-sustainability in its 2025-2026 pastoral planon January 13, 2026 at 1:06 pm
In a Pastoral Letter for 2025-2026, the Archbishop of Nampula, northern Mozambique, Inácio Saúre, IMC, has challenged the faithful of the Archdiocese to embrace the diocese’ pastoral plan and vision for a more financially self-sustaining Church. Read all
- West Bank: Settler violence increased by 25% in 2025on January 13, 2026 at 11:53 am
An Israel Defence Forces report has recorded a substantial escalation in colonist aggressions in the West Bank during the last year. Read all
- UNICEF: At least 100 children killed in Gaza since ceasefire dealon January 13, 2026 at 11:51 am
The UN Children’s Fund, UNICEF, decries that at least 100 children have been killed in Gaza since the ceasefire that was struck in early October. Read all
- Cardinal Pizzaballa: No denying the human desire for life, dignity and justiceon January 13, 2026 at 11:32 am
The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem expresses his hope that the ongoing anti-government protests in Iran will not deteriorate into more “violence and bloodshed”, and he decries the situation of “total devastation” in Gaza. Read all