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 calls for patience and dialogue in Iran and Syria
    on January 11, 2026 at 12:04 pm

    At the end of the Sunday Angelus, Pope Leo prays for peace in Iran, where protests continue, and Syria, where the army is battling Kurdish forces in the city of Aleppo. He also condemns the recent Russian strikes on Ukrainian civilians. Read all  

  • Bethany Beyond the Jordan, the Place of Jesus’ Baptism
    on January 11, 2026 at 11:58 am

    Today the Church celebrates the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. At Al-Maghtas, in Jordan, archaeological excavations have uncovered the remains of churches, chapels, hermits’ caves, and a baptistery––places of worship tied to Jesus’ Baptism. In 2015 this area was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Three Popes have made pilgrimages there: John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and Francis. Read all  

  • Angelus: “God does not look at the world from afar”
    on January 11, 2026 at 11:33 am

    At the Sunday Angelus, Pope Leo encourages Christians to reflect on the gift of their baptism, and to “bear witness to it with joy and consistency.” Read all  

  • Pope baptizes 20 children: Now they have the meaning of life
    on January 11, 2026 at 9:15 am

    Continuing a tradition begun in 1981 by Pope John Paul II, Pope Leo presided over the baptism of 20 children of Vatican employees in the Sistine Chapel. Read all  

  • Pope to young people: We are made for truth, not virtual connections
    on January 10, 2026 at 6:00 pm

    Pope Leo tells Rome’s young people not to be content with superficial relationships, but to seek the truth, goodness and communion that arise from encountering God and one’s neighbour. Read all