Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost is an American-born Catholic prelate who, in 2025, was elected as Pope Leo XIV, becoming the 267th pope and the first from the United States. Born in Chicago in 1955 to parents of French, Italian, and Spanish descent, Prevost joined the Order of Saint Augustine in 1977 and was ordained a priest in 1982

. He spent much of his ecclesiastical career as a missionary in Peru, where he served as a parish pastor, seminary educator, and bishop of Chiclayo from 2015 to 2023. Prevost also held leadership roles within the Augustinian order, serving two terms as prior general. In 2023, Pope Francis appointed him prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops and president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, and made him a cardinal

. Prevost is known for his missionary spirit, commitment to marginalized communities, and alignment with many of Pope Francis' reforms, while holding some conservative views on church doctrine. He is fluent in Spanish and Italian and holds dual citizenship in the United States and Peru. His papal name, Leo XIV, honors Pope Leo XIII and reflects his concern with modern social issues such as the challenges posed by technological advances

. In summary, Cardinal Prevost is a Chicago-born Augustinian friar and missionary who rose through church ranks in Peru and the Vatican to become Pope Leo XIV in 2025, marking a historic first for an American pope