Here are 10 things to know about the new Catholic Pontiff, Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, now Pope
1. Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost was on Thursday elected the new Catholic Pope.
2. He was born in Chicago, USA, on September 14, 1955.
3. Prevost is a member of the Order of St. Augustine (OSA), and as well the first American pope.
4. He will be known as Pope Leo XIV.
5. Cardinal Prevost began his religious journey as an Augustinian friar and was ordained a priest in 1982.
6. He is fluent in Spanish and has close familiarity with Latin American realities, which have greatly shaped his ecclesial vision.
7. In 2014, Pope Francis appointed him Bishop of Chiclayo in northern Peru.
8. In April 2023, he was called to Rome and appointed Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, a position of immense responsibility.
9. In September 2023, Pope Francis elevated him to the rank of Cardinal, becoming one of the Holy Father’s closest collaborators in the governance of the Church.
10. Known for his theological clarity, calm demeanor, and grounded spirituality, Cardinal Prevost also has a profound respect for tradition while remaining sensitive to the pastoral needs of the present day.