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Chicago-Born Robert Prevost Becomes Pope Leo XIV, First American Pontiff, Urges Church to Be ‘Beacon of Light’

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Updated May 10, 2025, 10:57 AM

Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, a 69-year-old Chicago native, was elected Pope Leo XIV on 8 May, becoming the first American to lead the Roman Catholic Church in its two-millennia history. The rapid conclave made him the 267th successor to St. Peter. An Augustinian with dual U.S.–Peruvian citizenship, Leo XIV spent two decades in Peru as a missionary and later as bishop of Chiclayo before heading the Vatican’s powerful Dicastery for Bishops. His choice of the name Leo, evoking the social-justice legacy of Leo XIII, underlines continuity with the reform-minded agenda of Pope Francis. During his inaugural Mass with the College of Cardinals in the Sistine Chapel on 9 May, Leo XIV said his election was “both a cross to bear and a blessing” and urged the Church to serve as “a beacon to illuminate the dark nights of this world.” He pledged pastoral outreach and greater transparency as hallmarks of his pontificate. The historic elevation drew swift congratulations from President Donald Trump and jubilant reactions from Catholic communities in the United States and Peru. It also triggered scrutiny: the survivors’ group SNAP accuses the new pontiff of mishandling clergy-abuse cases in Peru and Chicago, allegations that the current bishop of Chiclayo has rejected.

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