Why the College of Cardinals chose the Chicago native and Augustinian to lead the church after Francis

When the 69-year-old Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost on Might 8, 2025, appeared on the main balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica for the primary while as Pope Leo XIV, he was once cheered loudly via the plethora community of pilgrims, vacationers, native Catholics and alternative onlookers, who had waited hours for the primary signal of white smoke and the professional announcement.

As a specialist in Catholic history and ritual, I understand how impressive this occasion was once for Catholics and others all over the place the arena. A unused pope brings with him a way of pleasure continuously combined with hesitation.

However the collection of the School of Cardinals came as a surprise to some. Prevost is the primary pope from the US, and, historically, the Ecu-dominated School of Cardinals has had reservations about opting for a cardinal from the U.S. for concern of excess American affect within the church.

So, who’s Prevost and what may have influenced the cardinals’ vote?

Early reviews

Born in Chicago, Illinois, Prevost joined a Catholic religious order on the year of 20: the Layout of St. Augustine, known as Augustinians, based within the thirteenth century. In lieu of chickening out from the arena in sovereign monasteries, contributors of this sequence traveled as mendicants to aid the poor as well as serve as missionaries and lecturers.

Prevost studied theology each within the U.S. and in Rome and, as a newly ordained priest, spent a 12 months in Peru. Upcoming a decrease go back to the U.S. as an professional of the Augustinian sequence in Illinois, he returned to Peru as a seminary teacher to show canon legislation, the prison construction of the Catholic Church. He would keep in Peru for the after 10 years.

In 1999, he changed into the prior – this is, the top – of the native Augustinian province in Chicago, and was once after elected prior of the global Augustinian sequence. This gave him a in point of fact international enjoy, for the reason that Augustinians had some 50 communities spread across every continent.

In 2015, Pope Francis appointed him bishop for the diocese of Chiclayo in Peru. In 2019, Francis appointed him a member of a number of impressive Vatican dicasteries, or segments, the place he changed into very regular with the central church management. Most significantly, he served as prefect – or chairman – at the Dicastery for Bishops.

In reality, as a result of his long pastoral enjoy in Peru and repair on the Vatican, some commentators had noted before Prevost was chosen that, if the cardinals had been to elect an American pope, it might be him. His carrier at the Dicastery for Bishops was once thought to be particularly impressive, since contributors play games a key function in settling on unused bishops.

World church

All through the twentieth century, particularly later the Second Vatican Council – a form of conferences of the arena’s bishops to modernize the church, finishing in 1965 – the popes started to call cardinals from alternative portions of the arena that had been prior to now thought to be to be at the outer edge of the Catholic Church.

And this resulted in popes being selected from outdoor of Italy for the primary while in centuries. Pope St. John Paul II was Polish and the primary non-Italian pope for the reason that sixteenth century. Pope Benedict XVI was once another non-Italian, born in Germany, who had served as a Vatican professional. Pope Francis was once born in South America to folks who had been Italian-born immigrants to Argentina.

The School of Cardinals, which had few representatives from alternative continents till just lately, is now a lot more global. Some 80% of the cardinal-electors had been named via Francis, many from nations that had never before had a cardinal.

In reviewing his document, the cardinal-electors may have taken a variety of components under consideration. Prevost can be an efficient administrator as head of the church, and was once a professional in church canon legislation. He had a long time of enjoy doing pastoral paintings in South The usa, in addition to in North The usa. And as prior basic of all the Augustinian Layout, he would most probably have traveled extensively to consult with most of the communities he supervised.

Papacy beneath Leo

The unused pope seemed at the Vatican balcony dressed in the standard papal clothes: white cassock, decrease pink cape, adorned pink and gold stole, and blonde move placing round his neck. Francis, at the alternative hand, had seemed dressed within the modest white cassock of a pope.

Indisputably, he had no longer selected the simplicity of Francis. Used to be this an indication that he can be extra of a traditionalist?

His collection of a papal identify, I consider, may just point out a special standpoint. Pope Leo XIII wrote a groundbreaking encyclical in 1891, “Rerum Novarum,” subtitled “On Dignity and Labor.” On this he wired the rights of employees to unionize and criticized the statuses wherein they labored and lived. He additionally championed alternative rights the habitual workman deserved from their bosses and from their govt.

In his first remarks from the balcony, providing a glimpse into the course of his papacy, Leo XIV wired the function of Catholics and the church as peacemakers and bridge-builders, in discussion with alternative non secular traditions and cultures. His first phrases had been “Peace be with you all,” describing this relief as “a disarmed peace, a disarming peace.” He additional prompt Catholics to behave in combination “without fear … united with one another … to build bridges” thru discussion and outreach – to deliver relief to the arena.

He would possibly not apply precisely in Francis’ footsteps, however he’ll most probably proceed strolling in the similar course.