Pius Nsabe
Cardinal Robert Prevost was on Thursday evening elected leader of the Roman Catholic Church. He will now be known as Pope Leo XIV. He is the first American pontiff to be elected leader of the Catholic Church.
Here are some interesting details about the Chicago-born Pope Leo XIV, seen as a reformer:
Birth Name: Robert Francis Prevost
Papal Name: Pope Leo XIV
Date of Election: 8 May 2025
Predecessor: Pope Francis
Perculiarity: First Pope born in the United States; first North American Pope
Date of Birth: September 14, 1955
Place of Birth: Chicago, Illinois, USA
Citizenship: Peruvian-American (Naturalized Peruvian citizen in 2015)
Education: B.Sc. in Mathematics – Villanova University (1977); Master of Divinity – Catholic Theological Union, Chicago (1982); Licentiate & Doctorate in Canon Law – Pontifical College of St. Thomas Aquinas, Rome (1984, 1987)
Religious Order: Order of St. Augustine (OSA)
First Vows: 1978
Solemn Vows: 1981
Ordination: June 19, 1982 (by Archbishop Jean Jadot)
Leadership Roles: Missionary & Educator in Peru (1985–1998): Parish pastor, seminary rector, canon law teacher.
Provincial of Augustinian Province of Chicago (1999)
Prior General of the Order of St. Augustine (2001–2013) – Two terms
Bishop of Chiclayo, Peru (2015–2023)
Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops (2023–2025)
Cardinal-Deacon & Cardinal-Bishop (2023, 2025 respectively)
Controversies: Criticized for his handling of clergy abuse cases, particularly; Permitting a credibly accused priest (Fr. James Ray) to live near a school without informing authorities; SNAP alleged mismanagement of abuse cases involving Richard McGrath in Peru
Papal Significance: Seen as papabile due to his position overseeing bishop appointments; known for combining pastoral experience, canonical expertise, and multicultural fluency, particularly between North and South America
