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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  • From Gaza to Rome: Students begin new chapter at Sapienza University
    on May 14, 2026 at 1:18 pm

    A group of Palestinian students from Gaza are in Rome and able to start rebuilding their future thanks to a joint initiative of the Sapienza University, the Diocese of Rome and the Community of Sant’Egidio. On the day of Pope Leo XIV’s visit to the historic institution, they share their stories of war, displacement and hope. Read all  

  • ‘How Kids Roll’: The children of Gaza and their message of peace
    on May 14, 2026 at 11:03 am

    An exhibition in Rome tells the story of the war on Gaza through the eyes of children with a selection of photographs, poetry and video installations. An immersive journey that reflects on past and present amid fragility, memory and the longing for a future. Read all  

  • Pope to ecumenical movement: We can give life to a new world of peace
    on May 14, 2026 at 10:10 am

    On the first day of the ecumenical, global prayer movement, “Thy Kingdom Come”, Pope Leo sends a video message to participants, encouraging them in their mission of sharing the Gospel as it “is not something about which we can keep silent.” Read all  

  • Pope Leo: Literature must be a ‘school of fraternity and peace’
    on May 14, 2026 at 10:10 am

    Pope Leo XIV sends a message to the Turin International Book Fair, taking place this week in the northern Italian city, reiterating that literature must promote human dignity, peace and fraternity, and stressing that children, especially amid ‘the horror of war’ and ‘chill of indifference,’ offer the world hope. Read all  

  • Pope Leo to Rome’s Sapienza University: ‘Be artisans of true peace’
    on May 14, 2026 at 10:04 am

    Pope Leo XIV makes a special visit to Sapienza University of Rome, urging young people to reject resignation, become “artisans of true peace,” and warning against rising military spending and the dangers of artificial intelligence in war. Read all