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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“When we heard the words of the Holy Father, Pope Leo (during the Sunday Angelus), we all felt assured because we felt the solidarity and closeness of the Pope and of everyone here in Mozambique,” Archbishop João Carlos Hatoa Nunes of Maputo Archdiocese has said. He made the remarks in an interview with Vatican News. Read all
- A new Statute for the John Paul II Foundation for the Sahelon February 5, 2026 at 2:44 pm
In a Rescript, Leo XIV approves the new Statute of the John Paul II Foundation for the Sahel, established in 1984 to alleviate the suffering of those living in this region and affected by drought, desertification, and famine. Read all
- Global aid experts strengthen outreach and advocacy efforts assisting childrenon February 5, 2026 at 2:02 pm
Catholic leaders, religious congregations, humanitarian organizations, and child-protection experts from around the world meet in Rome to strengthen the Church’s response to the escalating world crises facing children. Read all
- Pope’s February prayer intention: ‘For children with incurable diseases’on February 5, 2026 at 2:00 pm
Pope Leo XIV releases his prayer intention for the month of Feburary, and invites Catholics to pray with him to recognize the face of God in every suffering child. Read all
- Papua New Guinea: Franciscan Sisters of Mary share pastoral heart with the faithfulon February 5, 2026 at 1:22 pm
In the rugged terrain and remote communities of Papua New Guinea, geographical landscape often limits access to pastoral and social services. The Franciscan Sisters of Mary (FSM) offer a quiet and steadfast presence, making a profound difference in the pastoral life of the local Church. Read all