by Kathy Shaw, SPARK manager
Cardinal Robert Prevost has been elected pope and will be known as Pope Leo XIV
Pope Leo XIV holds dual citizenship in both the US and Peru where he served as a bishop. He spent much of his career as a missionary in South America where he is fondly remembered as a figure who worked with marginalised communities and helped build bridges in the local Church.
He is the first American to become pontiff and will lead the Catholic global community of 1.4 billion people.
One of the first acts of a new pope is to choose a new name, changing their baptismal one. Over the years, popes have often chosen the names to refer to previous pontiffs for example, Pope Francis said his name honoured St Francis of Assisi. Once elected, the name that a chosen pope takes is often seen as a sign of their focus and direction for their papacy. It can signal continuity or a break with the past and suggest whether the new leader of the Catholic Church is progressive or traditionalist.
The previous Pope Leo XIII was pope at the end of the 19th century, he died in 1903. He was a determined defender of the rights of workers and is remembered as a pope who was dedicated to social policies and social justice. He laid the foundation for modern Catholic social thought, addressing workers’ rights and capitalism at the dawn of the industrial age. He is particularly known for issuing an encyclical – a letter sent to bishops of the Church – called “Rerum Novarum”, a Latin expression which means “Of New Things”.
Robert Francis Prevost has a bachelor’s degree in mathematics. He was ordained a priest in June 1982 and studied canon law at the Pontifical University of St Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum) in Rome, five years later, he received his doctorate.
He was received into the Augustinian religious order in 1977. The Order of St Augustine was formed in the 13th century as a community of “mendicant” friars dedicated to poverty, service and evangelisation. It has a presence in about 50 countries, and its ethos includes a contemplative spirituality, communal living and service to others.
Pope Leo first went to Peru as a missionary in 1985, returning to the US in 1986 as vocations director in the Augustinians. In 1988, he returned to Peru for about a decade in the city of Trujillo, before returning to the US for a leadership role with the Augustinians in 1999. He returned to Peru in 2014 and was installed as the bishop of Chiclayo in September 2015. He also became a Peruvian citizen in 2015.
In taking the name Leo XIV, the indications include a commitment to social issues. He is reportedly very close to Francis’s vision regarding the environment, outreach to the poor and migrants.
Pope Leo was made a cardinal by Pope Francis in 2023 and appointed to a powerful position, responsible for selecting new bishops. Significantly, he presided over one of the most revolutionary reforms when three women were added to the voting bloc which decides on the bishop nominations sent to the Pope. He also supported Pope Francis’s stance on allowing divorced and remarried Catholics to receive Holy Communion. However, he only showed mild support for allowing priests to bless same-sex couples.
As Cardinal he said in 2024,
“the bishop is not supposed to be a little prince sitting in his kingdom”
Appearing on the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica, his first words outlined a vision of a “missionary” Church which “builds bridges, which holds dialogues, which is always open”.
He also echoed his predecessor, the late Pope Francis, in calling for peace.
Faithful God,
You guide us on the path of life
and your goodness is our constant companion.
Be with our new Shepherd, Pope Leo XIV,
in his service of the Church.
Fill him with the power of your Spirit,
the peace of your presence
and the compassion of Christ.
May he walk with you,
in wisdom and humility,
and lead us, together with all God’s people,
to embody your love for the world.
Amen.
A prayer to welcome Pope Leo XIV from CAFOD Director, Christine Allen