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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  • Caritas: ‘Crippling’ debt weighing down developing countries
    on May 28, 2025 at 4:59 pm

    Vatican officials, charity workers, and internationally-recognised economists come together to discuss debt reform in an online town hall organised by Caritas Internationalis. Read all  

  • CELAM celebrates 70 years with a telegram from Pope Leo XIV
    on May 28, 2025 at 3:47 pm

    The bishops of Latin America and the Caribbean gather for the 40th Ordinary General Assembly of CELAM, marking 70 years since the first General Conference of the Episcopate was held in Rio de Janeiro in 1955. Read all  

  • Tens of thousands of pilgrims expected for Jubilee of Families
    on May 28, 2025 at 2:36 pm

    More than 60,000 pilgrims from 120 different countries are expected in Rome this weekend for the Jubilee of Families, Children, Grandparents, and the Elderly. Read all  

  • Young Africans on climate change, migration, conflict and development
    on May 28, 2025 at 1:20 pm

    Developing countries are disproportionately impacted by climate change, with many experiencing more frequent and severe disasters. On the occasion of Africa Day, celebrated worldwide this week, a young Togolese national, Mr Isaac Kodjo Atchikiti, based in Rome, spoke to Vatican News about climate financing in Africa, migration, and conflicts, among other issues. Read all  

  • Tanzania: Bishops call on the government to address violent acts against citizens
    on May 28, 2025 at 12:44 pm

    Ahead of the presidential elections scheduled for 28 October 2025, the political climate in Tanzania has become tense. Both local and international observers have expressed concerns about violent incidents, increasing political repression and fear. The President of the Bishops’ Conference has called on citizens to pray for the country to preserve its reputation as an oasis of peace, “blessed with strong systems, institutions and just laws.” Read all