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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- Day two in Algeria: Following in Saint Augustine’s footstepson April 14, 2026 at 9:32 pm
Pope Leo XIV visits the city of Annaba on his second day in Algeria, visiting the places where Saint Augustine carried out his ministry as Bishop of Hippo. Read all
- A joyous gathering of faith in the Basilica of Saint Augustineon April 14, 2026 at 8:14 pm
People from around the world gather at the Basilica of Saint Augustine in Annaba for Holy Mass with Pope Leo XIV on Tuesday, 14 April, during the first leg of his Apostolic Journey in Africa. Read all
- Pope at St. Augustine’s Basilica: ‘Christ invites us to renew our lives completely’on April 14, 2026 at 3:05 pm
Pope Leo XIV, the first Augustinian Pope, celebrates Mass at the Basilica of St. Augustine in Annaba, Algeria, and reminds the faithful that, like the great saint and Doctor of the Church, it is never too late to welcome the Lord’s invitation to lift us up from our hardships and trials, and, with His strength, renew and transform our lives. Read all
- Cameroon: Separatists announce pause of hostilities for Pope’s visiton April 14, 2026 at 3:01 pm
A statement from Unity Alliance, which brings Anglophone Cameroonian separatist groups together, announces a period of halted fighting ahead of Pope Leo XIV’s visit to the conflict-torn region. Read all
- Pope’s visit to Algeria encourages a more fraternal worldon April 14, 2026 at 2:51 pm
Catholics in Algeria share how the Pope’s Apostolic Journey has been going and their hopes for the impact of his visit, in an interview with Vatican News. Read all