Robert Prevost, born Robert Francis Prevost on September 14, 1955, in Chicago, Illinois, is the 267th pope of the Roman Catholic Church, known as Pope Leo XIV since his election in May 2025

. He is the first pope born in the United States and the first from North America, as well as the first from the Order of Saint Augustine

. Prevost was raised in a Catholic family of French, Italian, Spanish, and Creole descent. He entered the Order of Saint Augustine in 1977 and was ordained a priest in 1982. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from Villanova University, a Master of Divinity from Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, and advanced degrees in canon law from the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas in Rome

. His early priesthood included extensive missionary work in Peru, where he served as a parish pastor, seminary teacher, diocesan official, and later as Bishop of Chiclayo from 2015 to 2023. He also led the Augustinian Order globally as prior general from 2001 to 2013. In 2023, Pope Francis appointed him prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops and made him a cardinal

. As a cardinal and now pope, Prevost is known for emphasizing synodality, missionary dialogue, social and technological challenges, climate change, migration, church governance, and human rights. His papal name honors Pope Leo XIII, reflecting a commitment to addressing contemporary issues such as artificial intelligence and robotics in defense of human dignity and justice

. In summary, Robert Prevost is a Chicago-born Augustinian friar, missionary, bishop, and cardinal who was elected pope in 2025, becoming Pope Leo XIV, notable for his North American origin, missionary background in Latin America, and leadership roles within the Catholic Church