Who Is Pope Leo XIV?
Pope Leo XIV is the current pope of the Catholic Church, the Successor of St. Peter and thus visible leader in unifying the faithful and advancing the Church’s God-given mission to “make disciples of all nations” (Matt. 28:18-20; CCC 882; see CCC 815).
On May 8, 2025, Cardinal Robert Prevost became the first American-born pope, and the native of Illinois seems to have providentially anticipated his pontificate in choosing his episcopal motto: In Illo uno unum. That is, “In the One [Jesus Christ], we are one” (see John 17:20-23), and the vicar of Christ, the pope, is at the service of fostering and safeguarding that unity.
Before his election, Robert Francis Prevost served as a priest, bishop, and cardinal, with his ministry spanning the United States, Peru, and Rome/Vatican City. His election marked a significant moment in Church history, not only in his becoming the first American pontiff, but because his quiet service made him largely unknown to many Catholics prior to his papal election, including in his native land. Indeed, Cardinal Prevost was a 66/1 longshot to become the Church’s 267th pope.
From Robert Francis Prevost to Pope Leo XIV
The cardinals who elected Cardinal Prevost followed the same process the Church has used for centuries. He and his fellow cardinals gathered together in a papal conclave, prayed for the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and cast their votes, with the American elected on just the fourth ballot. While his election surprised many around the world, his colleagues in the College of Cardinals had gotten to know him, especially since Pope Francis named him to head the Dicastery of Bishops in January 2023. Cardinal Prevost embodied his episcopal motto as a Christ-centered, unifying candidate, and thus one around whom the great majority of his colleagues could quickly rally.
When he accepted his election, Cardinal Prevost took the name Leo XIV, and said one of his predecessors served as a particular inspiration:
Pope Leo XIII [1878-1903], in his historic encyclical Rerum Novarum, addressed the social question in the context of the first great industrial revolution. In our own day, 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.
What Is Pope Leo XIV’s Background?
Pope Leo XIV was born in the United States and raised in a Catholic family in the Archdiocese of Chicago. As a young child, he nurtured his vocation through playing Mass at home with Necco wafers, and while enduring prophetic teasing from his older brothers: “You’re going to be the pope one day,” recalled his oldest brother Louis to ABC News, upon his young brother’s papal election. “Neighbors said the same thing. Sixty-some years later, here we are.”
In time, Robert Prevost joined the Augustinians, served as a missionary in Peru for more than a decade, earned his doctorate in canon law, served as prior general of the Augustinian order, and became the Bishop of Chiclayo in Peru.
These various experiences shaped him as a priest and pastor. He was formed not only in academic settings and administrative roles, but also in direct service to the faithful, including the poor.
In January 2023, Pope Francis called him to Rome to serve as prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, where he played a key role in advising the pope on selecting bishops worldwide. This experience gave him a deeper understanding of the global Church, which further prepared him well to serve as the pope.
What Is Pope Leo XIV Known For?
From his opening words on the balcony of St. Peter, Leo XIV made clear his mission is to proclaim the unifying Lord Jesus, as his episcopal motto attests:
We are followers of Christ. Christ goes before us. The world needs his light. Humanity needs him as the bridge that can lead us to God and his love.
Similarly, shortly after becoming prefect of the Dicastery of Bishops, he said that for all Christian “our first duty is to communicate the beauty of Jesus.” To prospective priests on the Jubilee for Seminarians in June 2025, he added,
The goal is to become a joyful man and a joyful priest, a “bridge,” not an obstacle for those who come to you in order to come to Christ. He must increase and we must decrease. In that way, we can be shepherds after his own heart.
Pope Leo XIV is also known for a combination that is not always common: strong administrative experience paired with real pastoral work on the ground.
He is clearly in the moral teachings of the Church, including the dignity of human life and the importance of family. At the same time, his years in missionary settings have shaped a practical and pastoral sensitivity.
That combination explains why different groups sometimes try to label him in political terms. Those labels miss the point. The pope is not a political figure. Again, his role is to proclaim Christ, thereby teaching the doctrine Jesus first imparted to his apostles (Acts. 2:42), the foundation of his Catholic Church (Eph 2:19-22). Thus, Pope Leo heralds our Eucharistic Lord Jesus as both our model and source of love, as he did in the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday evening 2026:
Holy Thursday is therefore a day of fervent gratitude and authentic fraternity. May this evening’s Eucharistic adoration, in every parish and community, be a time to contemplate Jesus’ gesture, kneeling as he did, and to ask for the strength to imitate his service with the same love.
Life in the Vatican
As pope, Leo XIV resides in Vatican City, where his living quarters are tied directly to his responsibilities. His residence is not simply a home; it is also where he prays, meets with leaders, and governs. While known as the “Apostolic Palace,” it’s certainly not luxurious, yet large enough to live and conduct business for the visible leader of the global Church, including offering the sacrifice of the Mass daily in the papal chapel.
The Role of the Pope in the Catholic Church
To understand Pope Leo XIV, it is essential to understand the office of papacy.
The pope is the Bishop of Rome and Successor of St. Peter, the visible head of the Catholic Church on earth. His role is to teach, govern, and sanctify in leading the faithful, preserving the unity of the Church, and safeguarding the deposit of faith.
The pope does not invent doctrine. He does not change the Faith. He proclaims, explains, and applies the teachings of Christ (Matt. 28:20) in serving as the visible head of the one Catholic Church which Jesus himself established (Matt. 16:18-19).
This is why every pope, including Leo XIV, stands in divinely unbroken continuity with his predecessors, going all the way back to St. Peter.
The Gift of the Papacy
The papacy itself is a gift, an office divinely instituted—and sustained—by Christ. When Jesus said to Peter, “You are the rock, and upon this rock I will build my Church,” he established papal primacy, that St. Peter (and his successors) would serve as the visible leader of his Church on earth.
The Church has always prayed for her pope, not because he is perfect, but because his task is immense and because he serves as the earthly head of Christ’s Church, a Church against which Jesus promised the gates of hell promised would never prevail (Matt. 16:18). Consequently, to be Catholic is to recognize the authority Christ has given His Church, and to remain united under that authority.
Commonly Asked Questions
- Who is the new pope in 2025? Pope Leo XIV, formerly Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost.
- How old is Pope Leo XIV? Pope Leo XIV was born September 14, 1955, making him 70 years old.
- Where is Pope Leo XIV from? He is from Chicago, Illinois, in the United States of America.
- Is Pope Leo XIV conservative or liberal? He is not interested in appeasing political factions. He serves to proclaim Jesus Christ faithfully as “the way, and the truth, and the life” (John 14:6), the Savior of the world whose teachings set us free us free, now and forever (John 8:31-32; see John 3:16-17).
- What is Pope Leo XIV known for, prior to becoming pope? Before becoming pope in May 2025, his work as a missionary and bishop in Peru, his global Church leadership in leading the Augustinians, and his Vatican service as prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops.
- What is Pope Leo XIV’s role in the Vatican? He is the current pope and leader of the Catholic Church.
- Who is Robert Prevost and how did he become Pope Leo XIV? He was a cardinal elected by the College of Cardinals, becoming pope on May 8, 2025.
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