Who is Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, the first American elected Pope Leo XIV?
Prevost is the first American citizen to hold the position of head of the Roman Catholic Church and on the eve of the conclave, was not considered a leading candidate to be elected pope. The new pope has been elected. In the first afternoon vote on the second day of the conclave, at around 6 p.m., white smoke billowed from the Vatican chimney amid loud applause, signaling that a majority of the cardinal electors had reached a decision.
A little over an hour later, the new Pope was introduced to the world: Cardinal Robert Prevost, who had chosen the papal name Leo XIV. "Peace be with you all ," were his first words to the more than 100,000 faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square.
"I hope that this greeting of peace will enter your hearts, reach your families, every person, wherever they may be, " he said. He also paid tribute to his predecessor, recalling "the gentle but always courageous voice of Pope Francis as he blessed Rome ," and expressed his thanks to his predecessor. Pope Francis died at the age of 88 on April 21.
Pope Leo XIV also reflected deeply on his spiritual roots and pastoral vision: "I am a son of Saint Augustine, an Augustinian." " With you I am a Christian, for you I am a bishop. In this spirit, we can all walk together towards the homeland that God has prepared for us. "
What do we know about Pope Leo XIV?
Robert Prevost was brought to the Vatican by Pope Francis in 2023 to serve as the powerful head of the office that reviews nominations for bishops from around the world, one of the most important jobs in the Catholic Church. As a result, he had a reputation heading into the conclave that few other cardinals had.
Before the conclave, one knock against him was that there had long been a taboo against an American pope, given the geopolitical power the United States already held in the secular sphere.
But Prevost, 69, originally from Chicago, is also a Peruvian citizen after living in Peru for years, first as a missionary and then as an archbishop. Prevost was also twice elected general, or top leader, of the Augustinian religious order founded by St. Augustine in the 13th century.
Pope Francis had apparently had his eye on him for years, moving him from the Augustinian leadership back to Peru in 2014 to serve as administrator and later archbishop of Chiclayo. He remained in that position, taking Peruvian citizenship in 2015, until Pope Francis brought him to Rome in 2023 to take over the presidency of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America.
In that job, he would have maintained regular contact with the Catholic hierarchy in the part of the world that still counts the most Catholics. Since arriving in Rome, Prevost has kept a low public profile, but he is well known to the men who matter. Significantly, he presided over one of Pope Francis’ most revolutionary reforms: the addition of three women to the voting bloc that decides which bishop nominations are presented to the pope.
What is his stance on key issues?
Prevost is the first American-born priest to hold the position of head of the Roman Catholic Church. On the eve of the conclave, he was not considered a leading candidate to be elected pope. Prevost is known for his moderate and pastoral approach and for aligning with many of the positions held by his predecessor, Pope Francis, but there are differences.
Before his election as pope, Prevost did not have a particularly extensive record of speaking out on LGBTQ+ issues. However, the New York Times reported that in 2012, he had been critical of the media for showing " sympathy for beliefs and practices that are contrary to the gospel ," including what he called the " homosexual lifestyle."
These remarks contrast with his predecessor, Pope Francis,'s more inclusive outreach to the LGBTQ+ community. In 2023, the late pope criticized laws criminalizing homosexuality as " unjust ," saying that God loves all his children just as they are, and called on Catholic bishops who support the laws to welcome LGBTQ+ people into the church.
"Being gay is not a crime ," he said in an interview . His stance on the climate crisis is more in line with that of Pope Francis, with Pope Leo XIV often expressing concern about environmental challenges and stressing the importance of action to address global issues. He recently said the church must move " from words to actions" and warned against the "harmful" consequences of unchecked technological development.
While Pope Leo XIV is considered a centrist and widely considered progressive on some issues, he is seen as conservative regarding church doctrine. He opposes the ordination of women as deacons and has consistently spoken out against abortion, calling it " a form of murder."
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