Here’s Everything We Know About the First-Ever American Pope Elected As Leader of the Catholic Church

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Habemus Papam… and he’s American!

This marks the first time an American has ever been elected as pope in the entire history of the Catholic Church.

Earlier, we reported on white smoke rising from the Vatican, indicating that the pope had been chosen.

However, his identity was not revealed until now…

Robert Francis Prevost is 69 years old and originally from Chicago, IL.

Keeping in line with tradition, he stepped onto a balcony overlooking Vatican City to announce his new name as Pope Leo XIV.

Take a look:

Pope Leo XIV’s first words as head of the Catholic Church were:

“Peace be with you all. Dear brothers and sisters, this is the first greeting of the Risen Christ, the good shepherd who gave his life for the flock of God. I too would like this greeting of peace to enter your hearts to reach your families to all people everywhere to all the earth: peace be with you.”

Prior to becoming pope, Prevost spent much of his career ministering in Peru. He was chosen by Pope Francis to lead in a significant position at the Vatican in 2023.

Per ABC News:

He received priestly ordination on June 19, 1982, after studying canon law at the Pontifical Saint Thomas Aquinas University, according to his bio on the Vatican Press website.

Francis brought Pope Leo to work at the Vatican after first appointing him in 2014 to serve as the bishop of Chiclayo, Peru. He has spent a majority of his time in Peru, where he has also worked as a teacher, missionary and parish priest.

In April 2020, Francis appointed him to be the apostolic administrator of the diocese of Callao, also in Peru, his profile said.

Since 2023, he has held the position at the Vatican as Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, in charge of vetting nominations for bishops around the world.

Pope Leo told Vatican News in October 2024 that a “bishop is not supposed to be a little prince sitting in his kingdom, but rather called authentically to be humble, to be close to the people he serves, to walk with them and to suffer with them.”

He also currently serves as the president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America.

In a 2023 interview with the Catholic News Service, he was asked how he responds to problems with bishops or dioceses — to which he said he reminds clergymen to reflect on their oath to “live and work in communion with the Holy Father.”

“The spirit of synodality includes a need and desire to listen to not only the bishop himself, but to many people in the diocese to see what’s the best way to promote authentic church in each and every diocese in the world,” he said at the time.

Leo XIV is also a registered Republican and pro-life.

Charlie Kirk pulled his voting records:

However, he doesn’t seem like he’s too much of a fan of President Trump, judging based on his Twitter history:

Even so, President Trump congratulated Prevost on Truth Social and looks forward to meeting him:



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