Leo XIV

Pope Leo XIV (born Robert Francis Prevost, pronounced ; September 14, 1955) is the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City.

Born in Chicago, United States, Prevost became a friar in the Order of Saint Augustine in 1977 and was ordained as a priest in 1982. He earned a Doctor of Canon Law degree in 1987 from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome. He performed extensive missionary work in Peru in the 1980s and 1990s, working as a parish pastor, diocesan official, seminary teacher, and administrator. Elected prior general of the Order of Saint Augustine, he was based in Rome from 2001 to 2013, though traveled extensively. He then returned to Peru as Bishop of Chiclayo from 2015 to 2023, and became a Peruvian citizen. In 2023, Pope Francis appointed him prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops in Rome, and president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America. Upon his return to Rome, Prevost was made a cardinal.

As a cardinal, Prevost emphasized synodality, missionary dialogue, and engagement with social and technological challenges; he has also addressed climate change, international migration, church governance, and human rights. Prevost's election in the 2025 conclave was unexpected by observers, as he was considered a dark horse candidate. He is the first pope to have been born in the United States, and the first to be a citizen of Peru. He is also the first pope from the Order of Saint Augustine. Following the precedent of Pope Leo XIII, who developed modern Catholic social teaching amid the tumult of the Second Industrial Revolution, Prevost chose the papal name Leo XIV—both to echo Leo XIII's concern for workers and fairness, and as a response to the challenges of a new industrial revolution and artificial intelligence.

As pope, Leo has consistently opposed armed conflict and nationalism while advocating for the rights of immigrants. He has introduced new warnings about the use of artificial intelligence technology. Leo has affirmed the teachings of his predecessors, including social teachings and the climate policy of Pope Francis. He has consistently pointed to the teachings of the Second Vatican Council as the "guiding star" of the church. In 2026, he confronted the second Écône consecrations, which resulted in renewed excommunications and schism with the Society of St. Pius X.

Early life, family, and education (1955–1973) Background and ancestry

Robert Francis Prevost was born on September 14, 1955, at Mercy Hospital in the Bronzeville neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois, on the city's South Side. He is of French, Italian, Spanish, and Louisiana Creole descent.

His father, Louis Marius Prevost, was born in Chicago and grew up in Hyde Park. Louis's father and mother were immigrants from Italy and France, respectively. Prevost's mother, Mildred Agnes Prevost , was also born in Chicago, into a mixed-race Black Creole family from Louisiana. She graduated from DePaul with a bachelor's in library science and a Master of Education, becoming an educator and a librarian, including at Mendel Catholic High School.

Early life and schooling

Known as "Rob" to his family and "Bob" to friends as an adult, Prevost was raised in Dolton, Illinois, a suburb bordering the far South Side; his childhood home was purchased by the Village of Dolton after he became pope. He grew up in the parish of St. Mary of the Assumption in nearby Riverdale, Chicago. Prevost has two older brothers, Louis Martín and John Joseph. His parents were practicing Catholics who were very involved in the parish: Louis was a catechist—a teacher of the faith—and Mildred was an active member of the Rosary and Altar Society, sang in the church choir, provided services for the church, and went to daily Mass. According to Leo, he was greatly influenced by his parents' faith. Prevost went to the parish Catholic school and served as a choirboy and altar boy. Prevost aspired to the priesthood from a young age He decided to enter the Augustinian order in the eighth grade after visits by priests of multiple different religious orders to the family home, later saying the Salesians of Don Bosco "came in second place".

From 1969 to 1973, Prevost attended St. Augustine Seminary High School, a minor seminary near Saugatuck, Michigan; his brother John recalled how, from the end of eighth grade on, and especially after joining the Order of Saint Augustine, until their later adulthood when leave allowed them to reconnect, Prevost was hardly at home or with their family. He captained the bowling team and headed the speech and debate team, competing in Congressional Debate. Well-liked and highly intelligent, Prevost had a reputation for helping other students as a tutor. Out of several dozen who entered the school with him, Prevost was one of only 13 students in his class to graduate.

University, seminary, and early priesthood (1973–1998)

University

In 1973, Prevost was planning to attend Tolentine College, an Augustinian seminary in Olympia Fields, Illinois, but it closed that same year. Instead, he enrolled in Villanova University, an Augustinian college located near Philadelphia, where he earned a Bachelor of Science (BS) in mathematics in 1977. At Villanova, he took elective courses in Hebrew and Latin, read the writings of Augustine of Hippo, and discussed the work of theologian Karl Rahner with other students. While studying at Villanova, Prevost also worked as a cemetery groundskeeper at Saint Denis Catholic Church in Havertown, Pennsylvania.

Entry into Augustinians and seminary studies

On September 1, 1977, Prevost entered the Order of Saint Augustine's novitiate in the Province of Our Mother of Good Counsel, residing for one year at Immaculate Conception Church in St. Louis, Missouri. In the summer of 1978, Prevost spent three months in Clinical Pastoral Education at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis. He took his first vows on September 2, 1978, and his solemn vows on August 29, 1981. As his spiritual director, a guide to the Christian life, he chose a religious sister, Sister Lyn Osiek, RSCJ, the supervisor of his theological reflection class.

Ordination and missionary work in Peru On September 10, 1981, Prevost was ordained a deacon by Thomas Gumbleton at St. Clare of Montefalco Parish in Grosse Pointe Park, Michigan. That same year, Prevost concluded his studies at Catholic Theological Union.

Prevost earned a Licentiate of Canon Law (JCL) in 1984, followed by a Doctor of Canon Law (JCD) in 1987, both from the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas in Rome. His doctoral thesis was a legal study of the role of Augustinian local priors. In 1987, after defending his doctoral thesis, he was vocation director and missions director of the Augustinian Province of Our Mother of Good Counsel in Olympia Fields, Illinois, and worked with the faculty of the Augustinian Novitiate in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, before returning to Peru in 1988. During his time in Peru, Prevost met and appreciated Dominican priest and theologian Gustavo Gutierrez, a pioneer of liberation theology. He proved successful in the Augustinians' efforts to recruit Peruvians for the priesthood and leadership positions in the order. He organized support for Venezuelan refugees to Peru despite discrimination against the Venezuelans.

Cathedral Basilica of Saint Mary, Trujillo. As a young missionary, Prevost served in various roles in the Archdiocese of Trujillo.During the Fujimorato era, Prevost criticized the actions of then president Alberto Fujimori, placing special emphasis on the victims of the Peruvian Army, especially the Colina Group, during the period of terrorism in Peru, as well as on political corruption. In 2017, he criticized President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski's decision to pardon Fujimori and called upon Fujimori "to personally apologize for some of the great injustices that were committed". He was described as a defender of the human rights of the population of the Norte Chico region against the violence of the Marxist–Leninist–Maoist guerrilla organization Shining Path.

Prior provincial and prior general (1998–2013)

In 1998, Prevost was elected Prior Provincial of the Order of St. Augustine's Province of Our Mother of Good Counsel based in Chicago, assuming the role on March 8, 1999. Ray had been suspended from public ministry since 1991 due to credible accusations that he had sexually abused minors. Prevost's allowing of the placement of Ray in a friary at the request of the Archdiocese of Chicago and close to St. Thomas School was the subject of reporting in 2021, prior to his appointment to the Vatican. According to the Augustinians, "the location was selected because of the supervision the priest would receive." The SSPX has no canonical status within the Catholic Church. The resulting schism has become the Catholic Church's largest in at least 156 years, and has been described as the first major test of Leo's pontificate.

Views Prevost chose the papal name Leo in honor of Pope Leo XIII's social teachings. Prevost's regnal name was chosen following Pope Leo XIII , whose encyclical established modern Catholic social teaching and promoted labor rights. According to the Holy See Press Office director Matteo Bruni, this choice is "clearly a reference to the lives of men and women, to their work – even in an age marked by artificial intelligence". Leo XIV confirmed the association with Leo XIII in an address to the World Meeting of Popular Movements in October 2025.

Cardinal Fernando Chomalí of Chile said that Leo told him that the choice of papal name is based on his concern about the world's cultural shifts, a type of Copernican Revolution involving artificial intelligence and robotics. Chomalí said: "He was inspired by Leo XIII, who amid the Industrial Revolution wrote , launching an important dialogue between the church and the modern world." Leo XIV himself explained that "the church offers to everyone the treasury of her social teaching in response to another industrial revolution and to developments in the field of artificial intelligence that pose new challenges for the defense of human dignity, justice, and labor."

The National Catholic Reporter stated that Leo XIV was committed to ecumenism with other Christian denominations. At his inauguration, he referenced "sister Christian churches" and prayed for "a united church, a sign of unity and communion, which becomes a leaven for a reconciled world".

Leo has said religious freedom is "not optional but essential". During an audience with pontifical charity Aid to the Church in Need, before the launch of its Religious Freedom in the World Report in October 2025, Leo said that the right to religious freedom is "a cornerstone of any just society, for it safeguards the moral space in which conscience may be formed and exercised", adding that "religious freedom, therefore, is not merely a legal right or a privilege granted to us by governments; it is a foundational condition that makes authentic reconciliation possible."

During a weekly General Audience, Leo warned against fundamentalist readings of scripture, saying that to "renounce the study of the human words that God used risks leading to fundamentalist or spiritualist readings of Scripture, which betray its meaning."

Church policy The new pope's first message emphasized the greeting of peace of the risen Jesus "who gave his life for God's flock", giving "an unarmed and disarming peace". Leo said he wanted to continue the kerygmatic blessing of Pope Francis: "God cares for you, God loves you all, and evil will not prevail! We are all in God's hands." He continues to promote the work of the Second Vatican Council, devoting his weekly audience to rereadings of its documents and calling the council's teachings the "guiding star" of the church.

Leo XIV's episcopal motto is ("In the One, we are one"). Noting that there is "too much discord" in the world, he stressed that "the two dimensions of the mission" of the papacy is "love and unity", as its authority is "a question of loving as Jesus did."

Discussing the ordination of women in October 2023, Prevost stated that the "very significant and long tradition of the church" makes it impossible to consider women as priests and that "the apostolic tradition is something that has been spelled out very clearly." By contrast, he observed that the possibility of women deacons has been the subject of two Vatican commissions, demonstrating "openness to giving consideration" to that question. He also cautioned that the ordination of women as deacons "doesn't necessarily solve a problem" and could create new issues. Commenting on Pope Francis's 2023 appointment of three women as members of the Dicastery for Bishops, which he headed, he noted that their perspectives often align with other members but can introduce new valuable viewpoints.

As a cardinal, Prevost was a vocal proponent of synodality, one of Pope Francis's signature initiatives. Prevost suggested that the participation and co-responsibility of all the faithful could address the polarization in the church. Also in May 2023, Prevost said he has faith that "the Holy Spirit is [...] pushing us towards a renewal."

Liturgical and ceremonial practice

During his time in Peru, Prevost was described as an "impeccable dresser" when it came to celebrating the Mass, wearing full vestments even when summer temperatures rose above 85 °F (about 29 °C) in Chiclayo. Prevost described himself as "very obedient" in liturgical matters, and urged that the liturgy be prepared "in the best way possible." He was described as a "say the black, do the red" type of priest by the pastor of the cathedral, referring to rubrical (printed in red) instructions in the Roman Missal. In his first Mass in the Sistine Chapel as pope, he chose to use a papal ferula, or ceremonial staff, made for Benedict XVI and seldom used by Francis. The mozzetta worn after his election, and Benedict's ferula signaled to some a "return to normal" in the Holy See following the Francis papacy. However, during his Inauguration Mass in St. Peter's Square on May 18, 2025, Leo XIV used the ferula of Pope Paul VI which is most commonly associated with Pope John Paul II, and frequently used by Francis.

Leo received another pectoral cross upon his election, which he has been wearing instead of the one he wore during the conclave and his first appearance as pope. This one is silver, with relics of Leo the Great, Augustine, Thomas of Villanova, and Anselmo Polanco Fontecha. He also chose to restore the custom of the pope himself giving archbishops the pallium, which had been altered by Francis in 2015. In September 2025, it was announced that Leo had given permission for the Tridentine Mass to be said in St. Peter's Basilica the following month, the first time such permission had been granted since the promulgation of Traditionis custodes in 2021.

Social and political issues Within the context of church politics and theology, Prevost has been seen as a moderate or centrist, neither liberal nor conservative. In April 2025, the Italian newspaper stated that Prevost was seen as a "cosmopolitan and shy figure" who was "appreciated by conservatives and progressives" within the church.

Diplomacy

Leo has consistently advocated against armed conflict. Prior to his papacy, in Chiclayo, Prevost remained relatively politically neutral on Peruvian national issues. However, in the midst of the Peruvian protests in 2023, he stated: "The deaths during the protests cause me great sadness and pain [...] I asked to stay in Peru; I even made that request to the Holy Father. It wasn't the time to leave." He has also expressed support for the plight of Venezuelan refugees in Peru.

He denounced the Russian invasion of Ukraine, describing it as a "senseless war", and appealing to Russian leaders to end the conflict. In one of his first major speeches as pope, Leo called for a ceasefire in the Gaza war. Following the Israeli strikes on Iran in June 2025, he urged Iranian and Israeli authorities to act with "reason". He has issued prayers for those affected by the clashes in southern Syria and the 2025 Cambodia–Thailand clashes. He called for a ceasefire and humanitarian aid following the El Fasher massacre in Sudan. He has criticized the United States' military strikes near Venezuela.

Immigration and nationalism In his Pentecost homily soon after his election as pope, Leo criticized the "exclusionary mindset" displayed by various nationalist movements. The Holy Spirit "breaks down barriers and tears down the walls of indifference and hatred", he said. The pope has also spoken with sympathy for migrants, hoping to visit the Canary Islands where many migrants enter Europe. Additionally, Leo has stated that migrants are obligated to culturally assimilate in a new country, including by learning the official language, following local customs, and obeying the law.

The pope has repeatedly expressed criticism and concern about the treatment of migrants in the United States, particularly in facilities operated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). In September 2025, he reiterated past criticisms of the second Trump administration, remarking to a group of journalists that "someone who says 'I am against abortion but I am in agreement with the inhuman treatment of immigrants in the United States,' I don't know if that's pro-life." White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt denied Leo's claims of maltreatment. That October, Leo urged labor unions in his home city of Chicago to fight for immigrants' rights. In November, he called for a "deep reflection" about American immigration policy and asked that detainees' "spiritual rights" be upheld via access to clergy.

Consistent life ethic

Prevost (right) at a peace rally with fellow Augustinians in Rome in 1983, protesting the installation of NATO missiles. It was organized by a coalition of pacifist groups, including organizations connected to the Italian Communist Party. Leo's positions on abortion, euthanasia, and the death penalty are consistent with Catholic Church teachings. He has issued anti-abortion statements during his pontificate.

Leo has opposed euthanasia. He expressed caution against the euthanasia policy in Canada. He said that euthanasia, along with abortion, "discard the weakest", and disregard the value of life. He has also stated "We cannot build a just society if we discard the weakest—whether the child in the womb or the elderly in their frailty—for they are both gifts from God." In December 2025, Leo said he was "very disappointed" that his home state of Illinois approved a bill allowing for medically assisted suicide. He said he had spoken with Governor JB Pritzker and urged him to not sign the bill into law.

Leo opposes the death penalty. In October 2025, he stated, "Someone who says, 'I'm against abortion but says I am in favor of the death penalty' is not really pro-life."

Leo has specifically called out violence against women. He has condemned femicide, calling it both painful and tragic and attributing it to "an unhealthy desire for domination."

LGBTQ+ issues Prevost expressed reservations about "sympathy for beliefs and practices that contradict the gospel" and did not fully endorse or reject , a declaration concerning blessings for people in a same-sex relationship. He stated that national bishops' conferences should "interpret and apply such directives in their local contexts, given cultural differences." On a flight to Rome after a visit to African countries, Pope Leo praised Francis' approach to the topic but opposed formalizing the blessings. Referring to "sexual matters", Leo said he believes there are "more important issues such as justice, equality, freedom of men and women, freedom of religion that would all take priority before that particular issue." When asked in 2023 by Catholic News Service whether his views from 2012 had changed, Prevost said that "many things have changed" and emphasized the church should be more open and welcoming though he cautioned that church doctrine has not changed.

In May 2025, Leo said that it was up to governments to build peaceful societies "above all by investing in the family, founded upon the stable union between a man and a woman." In September 2025, Leo allegedly told the priest James J. Martin, an advocate for greater LGBTQ+ inclusion in the church, that he would continue Francis' legacy of welcoming LGBTQ+ people into the church, with Martin telling the Associated Press that their discussion "was very consoling and very encouraging and frankly a lot of fun." In February 2026, Leo spoke on same-sex marriage and transgender rights by stating, "The teaching of the Church will continue to remain as it is". Leo met representatives of Courage International, a Catholic ministry for LGBTQ Catholics on 6 February 2026. The group said on the occasion: "The opportunity to share with the Holy Father the works of the apostolate, to provide pastoral accompaniment to persons who experience same-sex attraction but who strive to live chaste lives or to accompany family members who have a loved one who identifies as LGBTQ, was a momentous occasion".

US politics

Throughout his time as a bishop and as a cardinal, Prevost continued to vote in both state and federal elections in the United States, being a registered voter in Will County, Illinois. Illinois election law does not require voters to register affiliation with a political party, and Prevost has never officially done so. The elections Prevost has voted in include the 2008 Democratic presidential primary, the Democratic primary for the 2010 Illinois gubernatorial election, the 2012 Republican presidential primary, the Republican primary for the 2014 Illinois gubernatorial election, the 2016 Republican presidential primary, and the 2024 United States general election.

On the social media platform X, Prevost's former account reposted posts critical of US immigration policies under President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance. The pope has supported various gun control measures. In 2025, Leo denounced what he called a "pandemic of arms" after the Annunciation Catholic Church shooting. His X account which he used prior to his election as pope has since been deleted and he is currently using the official @Pontifex handle, inherited from Popes Benedict XVI and Francis.

In April 2026, amidst the 2026 Iran war, Leo said that Donald Trump's threats against Iranian civilization and infrastructure were "truly unacceptable" and encouraged people to contact political leaders and members of Congress to "tell them to work for peace and to reject war." Trump subsequently directly criticized him in a Truth Social post, writing that "Pope Leo is WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy". He also referred to the pope as "too liberal." Leo responded, stating that "I have no fear of the Trump administration," and cited being a peacekeeper as a message of the Gospel.

Climate change With regards to climate change, the pope has advocated stronger church action, stating in a November 2024 seminar that "dominion over nature" should not be "tyrannical". He called for environmental protection, supporting the installation of solar panels and electric vehicles. His stance is consistent with his predecessor's environmental advocacy outlined in Laudato si'. Shortly after his election in 2025, he praised the document and said that it was "even more relevant today", ten years after it was written.

Artificial intelligence Leo XIV is critical of emerging "artificial intelligence" technologies, calling them an "anthropological challenge". He has warned that the technology can "interfere with information ecosystems." He has stated that he believes a more profound risk is that, in mimicking human faces and voices, the technology encroaches "upon the deepest level of communication, that of human relationships."

As Pope, he refused to give official sanction for an AI replica of himself intended to answer questions about the Catholic faith, saying, "If there's anybody who should not be represented by an avatar, I would say the pope is high on the list." He has said that artificial intelligence "will never be able to share faith" and that seeking "illusion on the internet, on TikTok" cannot replace an authentic spiritual connection. He asked the clergy of the Diocese of Rome to resist "the temptation to prepare homilies with artificial intelligence."

Leo's first encyclical, Magnifica humanitas, dealt with these matters in depth. In it, he said that "artificial intelligences do not undergo experiences, do not possess a body, do not feel joy or pain, do not mature through relationships...nor do they have a moral conscience...a form of statistical adaptation...does not imply inner growth."

Personal life In addition to his native English, Leo speaks Spanish, Italian, French, and Portuguese, as well as some German. He can also read Latin. During his time in Peru, Leo learned a little of one of the Quechuan languages. He has described himself as "quite the amateur tennis player", and still plays tennis when at Castel Gandolfo. He is the first pope who writes his own emails and wears a smartwatch, specifically an Apple Watch. He regularly plays Wordle and Words with Friends with his brothers. Leo stated that his favorite films are It's a Wonderful Life (1946), The Sound of Music (1965), Ordinary People (1980), and Life Is Beautiful (1997).

Leo is a lifelong fan of the Chicago White Sox of Major League Baseball, and was in attendance at US Cellular Field for Game 1 of the 2005 World Series. His support for Chicago sports also extends to the National Football League's Chicago Bears; United States vice president JD Vance presented him with a custom Bears jersey following his papal inauguration, which Leo remarked was a "good choice". He has also shown support for Villanova University athletics, especially the Villanova Wildcats men's basketball team.

As a teenager, Prevost enjoyed driving recreationally. thumb The interior of St. Mary Cathedral in Chiclayo, where Pope Leo prayed daily as its bishop, in 2018 During his time as bishop of Chiclayo, aside from daily Mass celebrated at 8pm (he preferred to celebrate Mass in the evening when his mind was clearer), Prevost had periods of prayer at the beginning of the day and before dinner. He prayed lauds in the morning at the Cathedral and the rosary with his priest colleagues around noon.

Honors

Villanova awarded him an honorary Doctor of Humanities degree in 2014. Leo was included in Time magazine's "100 Most Influential People of 2026".

On February 11, 2025, Prevost was appointed a Bailiff Grand Cross of Honour and Devotion of the Order of Malta by its Grand Master Fra' John T. Dunlap.

On October 23, 2025, King Charles III appointed Leo an Honorary Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath on the occasion of the King's state visit to the Holy See. At the same event, Leo accepted the title of Papal Confrater of St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle.

In 2026, a species of pyralid moth, Pyralis papaleonei, was named in honor of Pope Leo XIV.

On March 17, 2026, the National Constitution Center announced Pope Leo XIV as the recipient of the 2026 Liberty Medal, which honors "men and women of courage and conviction who strive to secure the blessings of liberty for people around the globe". He received the award on July 3, 2026, the eve of the United States semiquincentennial.

Coat of arms