White smoke swirled over the Vatican and history was made. Cardinal Robert Prevost, a name few outside church circles had known, became Pope Leo XIV on May 8, 2025.
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His election came after the death of Pope Francis, marking a significant moment for the Roman Catholic Church as it welcomed its first American-born pontiff. A native of Chicago, Pope Leo has roots stretching from the Seventh Ward of New Orleans to Peru's Catholic missions.
Who is Pope Leo XIV and what do we know about him?
Pope Leo XIV was born Robert Prevost on 14 September 1955 in Chicago to Louis Marius Prevost, an educator, and Mildred Martínez, a librarian. Both parents were deeply involved in parish life and held graduate degrees from DePaul University.
Leo grew up in Dolton, Illinois, just outside of Chicago, alongside two older brothers, John and Louis.
He studied mathematics at Villanova University before turning to religious studies at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. His academic path led him to earn a doctorate in Church law from the Pontifical University of St Thomas Aquinas in Rome in 1982. Leo then spent decades as a missionary in Peru, eventually becoming Bishop of Chiclayo. He gained Peruvian citizenship in 2015.
His appointment as prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops in 2023 placed him firmly in the Vatican’s inner circle. When he became Pope, he introduced himself as an Augustinian, aligning with the teachings of St Augustine that emphasise love, humility and spiritual community.
In his first remarks as pontiff, Leo said:
Peace be with you.
He followed with:
Let us keep in our ears the weak but always brave voice of Pope Francis, who blessed Rome – the pope who blessed Rome and the world that day on the morning of Easter.
As the world began to learn more about their new spiritual leader, many were fascinated to find that his papal journey was long foretold in a rather surprising setting—his old neighbourhood.
How his neighbours predicted he would become the Pope
Long before Leo took on the papal name, the neighbourhood mothers had their say. According to his brother John, Pope Leo's path was foretold as early as kindergarten. John told WGN9:
The interesting thing is way back when he was in kindergarten or first grade, there was a parent, a mom, across the street — one across the street that way and another down the street.
Both of them said he would be the first American pope — at that age.
Speaking to the Associated Press, John added:
She sensed that at 6 years old. How she did that, who knows. It took this long, but here he is, first American pope.
The family has long supported his vocation. John said:
Some people play school, some people play army, he played priest, and we had to go to Mass.
Even in childhood, Leo's brothers teased him about his future. Louis joked:
You're going to be the pope one day ... he just had it about him.
On becoming the new Pope, his brother John said:
It’s quite an honour; it’s quite a once-in-a-lifetime. But I think it’s quite a responsibility and I think it’s going to lead to bigger and better things.
Their predictions proved more accurate than they could have imagined.
Read more:
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How Jorge Bergoglio became Pope Francis: His early life, family, and why he chose priesthood
Sources used:
People: Meet Pope Leo XIV's Family: All About His Parents and Brothers (and Their Chicago Roots!)
NY Post: Pope Leo XIV’s neighbours predicted he would become first American pontiff when he was in kindergarten
Al Jazeera: Who is Pope Leo XIV, the first US pontiff?
