For the first time in history, the papal throne belongs to an American. Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost of Chicago was introduced to cheering crowds as Pope Leo XIV on Thursday.
It is a moment that capped a remarkable journey from the neighborhoods of the South Side to the pinnacle of the Catholic Church, reflected with American flags being waved in a crowd that had earlier eagerly awaited the white smoke to drift upwards.
Prevost’s American roots run deep. Born in 1955 to a working-class family, he attended Villanova University in Pennsylvania, where he joined the Augustinian Order and was ordained a priest in 1982. His early years were shaped as much by American pragmatism as by Catholic tradition.
But what truly distinguishes Leo XIV is his decades in the field. Rarely, in the last hundred years, has a Pope been so closely aligned with missionary work. After seminary, he volunteered as a missionary in Peru, ministering in some of the country’s poorest and most isolated regions. His approach to leadership was forged there, far from Vatican corridors. As he once put it in a widely-cited 2023 interview, “The bishop is not supposed to be a little prince sitting in his kingdom but rather called authentically to be humble, to be close to the people he serves.”
Those who know him say he’s never lost sight of the fundamentals. “He has always stood firm for the pro-life cause and the sanctity of marriage,” recalled Father James O’Malley, a longtime friend and fellow missionary. Catholic writers have noted his “active” support for pro-life efforts dating back to the 1970s: Prevost has, in their words, “never wavered on the fundamental truths of life and marriage.”
Prevost’s American sensibility — described by one Vatican observer as “practical and direct” — was once considered an obstacle to the papacy. Yet his reputation as a bridge-builder and his willingness “to walk with people, to share in their struggles, and to stand for what’s right” ultimately won the day.
His own words, spoken during his time as bishop, echo his missionary heart: “To serve is to love, and to love is to give without counting the cost,” according to Ascension Press. In the days ahead, Catholics in the U.S. and abroad will be watching to see how Leo XIV’s uniquely American journey shapes his vision for the Church.
Appearing before thousands gathered in Vatican Square, Pope Leo assured the world that God loves everyone, and evil will not prevail he encouraged, “We are all in the hands of God.”
The Augustinian missionary also spoke of being united hand in hand with God, reaching humanity as disciples of Christ to a world that “needs his light.”
–Metro Voice
