Chicago-Born Robert Prevost Elected Pope Leo XIV, First American Pontiff; Holds Initial Mass in Sistine Chapel

Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, a 69-year-old Chicago native and Augustinian friar, was elected Pope Leo XIV by the College of Cardinals on 8 May. His elevation makes him the 267th leader of the Roman Catholic Church and the first pontiff from the United States in the institution’s two-millennia history. Prevost, who previously headed the Vatican office that oversees the appointment of bishops and spent much of his career as a missionary and diocesan bishop in Peru, is regarded as a close ally of the late Pope Francis. By adopting the name Leo XIV, he invoked Leo XIII, the 19th-century pope known for championing workers’ rights, signalling an expected emphasis on social justice and pastoral outreach. World leaders swiftly welcomed the appointment. President Donald Trump hailed the choice as a “great honor” for the United States, while Brazil’s Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak also offered congratulations. Catholic communities in Chicago, Rome and beyond celebrated the historic milestone. Pope Leo XIV will celebrate his first Mass as pontiff with the cardinals who elected him at 11:00 a.m. Rome time on 9 May in the Sistine Chapel.