Pope Leo XIV: A Pontiff Between Nations, and the Burdens of a Global Church

New York — When white smoke emerged over St. Peter's Square on May 8, 2025, the following announcement was nothing short of historic. For the first time in over two millennia of papal tradition, the College of Cardinals had elected an American: Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, a 69-year-old native of Chicago, who stepped out onto the balcony of the Apostolic Palace as Pope Leo XIV.

But while the new pontiff's name and nationality may signal novelty, the man himself brings a deep, complex, and sometimes controversial journey, shaped by multiple continents, a fierce pastoral mission, and a theological compass that orients itself not toward political affiliations but toward the edges of human suffering.

American by Birth, Peruvian by Vocation, Catholic by Calling

Born on September 14, 1955, in Chicago, Robert Prevost grew up in a household steeped in discipline, faith, and education. His father, Louis Marius Prevost, was a U.S. Navy veteran of French descent. His mother, Mildred Martínez, a librarian of Spanish and Italian heritage, imbued him with a love for learning and a quiet spirituality that would shape his inner world.

Prevost entered the seminary of the Order of St. Augustine at 18, earned a mathematics degree from Villanova University, and was ordained a priest in Rome in 1982 after completing advanced studies in Canon Law. He would become a rare blend of scholar and shepherd, equally at home in a Vatican dicastery or a rural parish.

But he made his mark not in the U.S. but in Peru, where he arrived in 1985 on a mission that would eventually earn him Peruvian citizenship and the lasting affection of Latin America's Catholic faithful.

The Peruvian Years: Margins and Ministry

Prevost's nearly two decades in Trujillo, one of the poorest regions in northern Peru, were defined by tireless work in seminarian formation, legal instruction, and pastoral outreach. As rector of the Augustinian seminary and a judge in the ecclesiastical court, he embodied both authority and accessibility.

Unlike many foreign missionaries, Prevost did not remain in cloistered academic halls. He celebrated Mass in mud chapels, drank chicha with campesinos, and walked miles to visit communities forgotten by the state. By all accounts, he was a priest who listened before preaching and stood with the voiceless long before it became a Vatican talking point.

A Controversial Tenure at the Helm of the Augustinians

In 2001, Prevost was elected Prior General of the Order of St. Augustine, one of the most ancient and respected roles in Catholic religious life. He served two terms, managing a global order through an era marked by growing public exposure of clerical sexual abuse.

Though never personally implicated in wrongdoing, Prevost was criticized by some survivors' groups for what they described as an "institutionally cautious" approach to reform. Documents from the time suggest he favored internal disciplinary procedures over full cooperation with civil authorities in some regions, a strategy common among religious superiors of the era, but increasingly scrutinized today.

Still, within ecclesial circles, he was viewed as a steady hand, and his leadership earned the trust of one man who would change the course of his life: Pope Francis.

Francis' Protégé — and Successor

Pope Francis appointed Prevost Bishop of Chiclayo in 2014. He later brought him to Rome to serve as Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, one of the Vatican's most powerful posts, responsible for episcopal appointments worldwide.

Credit: The Roman Catholic Diocese of Chulucanas

Observers say the two shared a deep affinity, both ideologically and pastorally. Like Francis, Prevost viewed the Church not as a citadel of doctrine but as a field hospital that must reach the wounded before administering catechism.

His election to the papacy following Francis' death was widely expected, though not uncontested. While many cardinals favored continuity, others raised concerns over Prevost's firm stances on issues such as women's ordination, celibacy, and LGBTQ inclusion, where he is seen as more conservative than his predecessor.

The First Days of Leo XIV: A Message of Peace, and a Caution to Power

Pope Leo XIV invoked unity, dialogue, and peace in his inaugural address. His first words, spoken in fluent Spanish, were addressed to the "dear people of Peru," a gesture that reverberated far beyond Latin America.

And yet, within a week, Leo XIV made global headlines for what was perceived as a thinly veiled critique of U.S. Vice President JD Vance, a staunch nationalist and architect of the Trump administration's immigration policies.

In a pastoral letter, the Pope rebuked misinterpretations of the Christian concept of ordo amoris, "order of love," as justification for exclusionary policies. "The love of Christ does not pause at borders or passports," he wrote. "It begins with the neighbor, but it must extend to the stranger."

A Pontificate of Paradoxes

Pope Leo XIV embodies a unique paradox: a pope of the global South, born in the North; a doctrinal moderate with a deeply progressive social conscience; a man formed by poverty, educated in Rome, and now positioned to guide a Church of 1.4 billion souls.

He is the first pope in history with three nationalities: American by birth, Peruvian by mission, and Catholic by destiny. But perhaps more than anything, Leo XIV represents the next phase of a Church walking the line between its ancient past and its uncertain future.

Whether he will emerge as a reformer in Francis's mold or a traditional consolidator remains to be seen. But one truth is already clear: the world will be watching, and so will history.