Pope Leo XIV
Pope Leo XIV is the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City, elected in 2025 as the first American-born pope in the history of the papacy.
Nearly two thousand years into the papacy's history, it took until 2025 for an American-born cardinal to finally be elected to lead the Catholic Church.
An American in Rome
Born in Chicago, Illinois, and originally named Robert Francis Prevost, Pope Leo XIV became the first pope born in the United States, a historic milestone for the nearly two-thousand-year-old institution.
Decades of Missionary Work in Peru
Before his elevation to the papacy, Leo spent many years as a missionary and bishop in Peru, work that gave him dual American and Peruvian perspective and deep pastoral experience in Latin America, a region of major importance to the global Catholic Church.
Succeeding Pope Francis
Leo was elected pope in May 2025 following the death of Pope Francis, inheriting a church still navigating the reforms and pastoral priorities his predecessor had championed during his own papacy.
An Emphasis on Unity
In his first year as pope, Leo has emphasized unity within the church and continued several of Pope Francis's initiatives, including an exhortation on love of the poor, while beginning to establish his own distinct priorities and papal travel schedule.
A Global, Modern Papacy
As the first pope to speak English as his native language in centuries, Leo's papacy has drawn particular attention in the English-speaking world, and he has continued an active international travel schedule, including apostolic visits to Africa and Spain.
