Robert Francis Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, was born on September 14, 1955, in Chicago, Illinois, to Louis Marius Prevost and Mildred Martínez.
His heritage is a blend of French, Italian, and Spanish roots. Raised in a devout Catholic family, he was one of three siblings.
He began his religious journey with the Augustinian Order, attending the Minor Seminary of the Augustinian Fathers, followed by studies at Villanova University, where he graduated in 1977 with a degree in Mathematics and pursued courses in Philosophy. That same year he entered the Augustinian novitiate and made his first profession in 1978, later taking solemn vows in 1981.
Prevost completed his theological formation at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago and was sent to Rome to study Canon Law at the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum). He was ordained a priest on June 19, 1982, in Rome.
He later served in Peru, first in Chulucanas and then in Trujillo, where he worked for over a decade as a parish priest, seminary professor, judicial vicar, and formation director. His efforts were deeply focused on pastoral care and the formation of Augustinian candidates, especially in underprivileged communities.
In 1999, Prevost was elected Provincial Prior of the Augustinian Province of “Mother of Good Counsel” in Chicago. Just two years later, he was elected Prior General of the Order of Saint Augustine, a position he held for two six-year terms until 2013.
Returning to Chicago, he resumed leadership roles within his Province until Pope Francis appointed him Apostolic Administrator of Chiclayo, Peru, in 2014. He was ordained a bishop on December 12, 2014, and formally named Bishop of Chiclayo in 2015. He also held the position of Apostolic Administrator of Callao in 2020.
His influence grew within the Vatican when he was appointed a member of the Congregation for the Clergy (2019) and later the Congregation for Bishops (2020). In January 2023, he was called to Rome to become Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops and President of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America. He was then made an Archbishop.
Pope Francis elevated him to the College of Cardinals in September 2024, assigning him the Diaconate of Saint Monica. He actively participated in synods and Vatican commissions and was appointed to several important dicasteries.
In February 2025, he was promoted to the Order of Bishops, receiving the Suburbicarian See of Albano. A few weeks later, following the resignation of Pope Francis, Prevost was elected by the College of Cardinals as Pope Leo XIV.
He is recognised for his missionary heart, legal acumen, leadership in religious life, and commitment to Church reform and evangelisation. His episcopal motto, “In Illo uno unum” (“In the One, we are One”), reflects his emphasis on unity in Christ.
