By Ruth Gledhill, Bess Twiston Davies, Patrick Hudson
Cardinal Robert Prevost OSA has been elected the 267th Pope, taking the name Leo XIV.
The American cardinal is considered a moderate known for his solid judgement and his capacity to listen.
The former prefect of the Dicastery of Bishops is aged 69. From his first appearance on the balcony, it was clear he had decided unlike Francis to wear the traditional papal mozetta. Commentators said this indicated he will balance reform with stability and will maintain the emphasis on unity and evangelisation that emerged from the general congregations of the College of Cardinals before the conclave.
Beginning his first apostolic blessing, Urbi et Orbi – to the city and to the world – delivered in Italian to cheering crowds, he said “peace be with you”, the peace of Christ resurrected “which comes from God who loves all of us unconditionally”.
He continued: “God loves all of us and evil will not prevail. We are all in the hands of God.” Christ walks before us and the world needs his light, he said, urging everyone to help each other. “We must build bridges together with dialogue … become one simple people in peace.” He added: “We must be a missionary church together.”
He thanked the cardinals and also paid tribute his predecessor Pope Francis, who he was close to. “Perhaps Pope Francis is here with us this evening,” he said.
Cardinal Prevost served as a missionary bishop in Peru, where sources today told The Tablet they were delighted he had been elected. He is a Peruvian citizen as well as an American citizen. “He was very close to the faithful when he was in Peru,” a source said.
At the end of his blessing, he spoke in Spanish, one of the several languages in which he is fluent, to greet his former diocese in Peru. In 2015, Pope Francis appointed him to the Diocese of Chiclayo, on the northern coast.
He sent “a special greeting to my beloved Diocese of Chiclayo, whose faithful accompanied their bishop, sharing their faith, and who gave so, so much to remain the faithful Church of Jesus Christ.”
Antonio Vera, a notary based in Chiclayo, told The Tablet: “We are partying in Chiclayo tonight. The bells are ringing out from the Cathedral of Santa Maria. Journalists and other people are on their knees inside.”
He had urged friends to pray for Prevost during the conclave two days ago: “We can’t believe it,” he said. “The atmosphere here is one of widespread joy.”
The Pope said he wanted to lead a missionary and a synodal church that is “close to the people who suffer”.
The white smoke appeared shortly after 5 pm – at 6:08 pm Rome time – which was over half an hour beyond the time of 4.30 pm when it was thought the fourth vote would have taken place.
His election and name was announced by the senior cardinal-deacon, the French Cardinal Dominique Mamberti, at the Loggia of Blessings with the traditional formula: Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum: Habemus Papam! (“I announce to you a great joy: We have a Pope!”)
Before he proceeded to the Loggia, Pope Leo XIV stopped to pray before the Blessed Sacrament in the Pauline Chapel, where the newly-elected Pope Francis was said to have had a spiritual experience that transformed him from a priest known to be somewhat dour and determined, to the joyful shepherd with the “smell of the sheep” that the world came to know and love.
The crowd in the square, initially unsure how to respond to a relatively unfamiliar figure, soon took to chanting his papal name – “Leone” in Italian – and the customary cry of “Viva il Papa!”
At the Dicastery for Bishops, Cardinal Prevost was charged with vetting candidates for the episcopacy, since he became its prefect in 2023.
Born in Chicago, he joined the Augustinians and after ordination in 1982 and further studies joined the order’s mission to Peru in 1985. He was credited with expanding the role of local-born clergy in the mission, and held several roles in teaching and formation for the mission in the north-western city of Trujillo. He also served as a parish priest and founded a new parish, dedicated to St Rita, in a poor district of the city.
Prevost alternated between work with the mission and with the Augustinian province in Chicago – becoming in 1999 the provincial superior – until he was made the order’s prior general in 2001, holding the post until 2013.
A year after that, Pope Francis made him a titular bishop serving as the apostolic administrator of Chiclayo, on the north coast of Peru. In a statement, the charity Aid to the Church in Need said it had supported Prevost with projects while he was in Chiclayo, “including the formation of seminarians, missionaries and catechists, as well as with Mass stipends which in part supported missionaries working in remote parts of the Andes”. Pope Francis made him the diocesan Bishop of Chiclay in 2015. He was succeeded in the diocese in 2024 by the native Peruvian Bishop Edinson Edgardo Farfán Córdova, a fellow Augustinian.
Since succeeding Cardinal Marc Ouellet at the Dicastery of Bishops and becoming a cardinal shortly after, Prevost has led the search for candidates for the episcopate reflecting a more “pastoral” approach. He also faced a high-profile problem case soon after his appointment, directing the removal of the volatile Bishop Joseph Strickland from the Diocese of Tyler, Texas.
The Order of St Augustine, founded in 1244, follows the Rule of St Augustine, written by St Augustine of Hippo in the fifth century.
Fr Peter Gallagher SJ, Provincial of the Jesuits in Britain, was among the first to welcome his election. He said: “The Jesuits in Britain welcome the election of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV with joy and prayerful support. In this moment of grace, we reaffirm our commitment to serve Christ and the Church wherever the need is greatest. Guided by our apostolic mission, we walk in hope, alongside Pope Leo XIV, in addressing the challenges of today’s world.”
“From the moment of his election, the universal Church has been renewed by the Spirit and our Jesuit vocation is renewed with it. As we look to the challenges and hopes of the world today, we renew our commitment to serve Christ under his pastoral leadership. Like St Ignatius, we remain ready to go wherever God calls, attentive to the whispers of the Spirit and eager to respond: Here I am; send me.
“Our vow of obedience to the Pope has long been at the heart of our mission, calling us to walk alongside those seeking hope, reconciliation, and justice. With Pope Leo XIV, he successor of Peter, we continue this path of service. Guided by our four apostolic preferences and together with our partners in schools, parishes, retreat houses, universities, and social ministries, we offer our prayers and actions to bring Christ’s light to those most in need.”
Christine Allen, director of Cafod, said: “Pope Leo XIV, born Robert Francis Prevost, will be a voice of wisdom in a fractured and divided world, as he continues the important work of leading the church in the world and providing spiritual and moral guidance to the global community. Having spent years in Peru, Pope Leo XIV, brings with him the vital perspective of the Global South, elevating voices from the margins to centre stage.
“Now more than ever the world needs a strong and steadfast moral voice that can draw attention to the most important issues in our world: the crippling debt crisis – a key focus of this Jubilee Year – which prevents low-income countries from spending on health and education for their people; the climate crisis and the conflicts blighting our world.
“This election reflected a global Church, with cardinals from every corner of the world voting – bringing a broader outlook to addressing today’s global issues.”
Coping International founder Vincent Doyle told The Tablet: “In an interview with Andrea Tornelli, editorial director for Vatican Communications, the then-Archbishop Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, was asked about safeguarding. His comments seem to echo the central theological thesis that was the pinnacle of Francis’ ministry, one of closeness to the flock, especially those who suffered abuse.
Asked how the new norms for combating abuse had increased the responsibility of bishops, Cardinal Prevost replied: “We are on a journey with regard to this as well. There are places where good work has already been done for years and the rules are being put into practice. At the same time, I believe that there is still much to learn. I am talking about the urgency and responsibility of accompanying victims. One of the difficulties that many times arise is that the bishop must be close to his priests, as I have already said, and he must be close to the victims. Some recommend that it not be the bishop directly who receives the victims, but we cannot close our hearts, the door of the Church, to people who have suffered from abuse.
“The responsibility of the bishop is great, and I think we still have to make great efforts to respond to this situation that is causing so much pain in the Church. It will take time. We are trying to work together with the other dicasteries. I believe it is part of the mission of our dicastery to accompany bishops who have not received the necessary preparation to deal with this issue. It is urgent and necessary that we be more responsible and more sensitive to this.”
Doyle said: “He speaks of being close to his victims. Let us pray that his theology is one that blends the work of Francis and Benedict so that the house of the Lord may be softened with the gentle hands of a pastor and safeguarded with the strength of wisdom, as promulgated by Benedict. Let us pray for Pope Leo, especially in these early days as he comes to terms with standing in the shoes of Saint Peter himself.” – The Tablet
