While he had been ill, the death of Pope Francis on April 21 still came as a shock to much of the world. The late pope was known for advocating for the poor, preaching peace and acceptance, and for being the first non-European pope in over a millennium. He succumbed to death by stroke and heart failure at the age of 88, making him one of the longest-living popes in the Catholic Church’s history.
On May 8, the conclave selected Robert Francis Prevost, an American, to succeed Pope Francis. Notably, a record-breaking 133 cardinals out of the 252 in the conclave voted, being the most ever in an election. Prevost decided to take the name Leo XIV, as typically popes choose names that have a personal meaning to Catholicism. His name may allude to Pope Leo I, or Pope Leo the Great, who is known for successfully convincing Atilla the Hun not to attack Rome. A CNN article entitled “Why Do Popes Choose Different Names and What Could the Name of the New Pope Be?” (cnn.com) explained that popes often choose names that reflect the beliefs and traits he plans to implant into his papacy; some people theorize that Prevost’s name selection foreshadows that the new pope will protect against oppressive political forces.
Pope Leo XIV is the first American pope, having been born and raised in Chicago. He is currently 69 years old and grew up in a family of devoted Catholics. He graduated from Villanova University with a degree in mathematics. However, later on, he gained his master’s degree in divinity from the Catholic Theological Union, where he studied theology. Continuing his education in Catholicism, he earned his doctorate in canon law from the Pontifical College of St. Thomas Aquinas, and later, he earned an honorary doctorate in humanities from Villanova. He also served as a bishop in Peru for many decades and eventually became naturalized as a Peruvian citizen.
More recently, he had his inaugural mass on May 18, which took place in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican. Over 200,000 people attended, including world leaders such as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Peruvian President Dina Boluarte, and U.S. Vice President JD Vance. In his homily, he called for unity, saying, “In this our time, we still see too much discord, too many wounds caused by hatred, violence, prejudice, the fear of difference, and an economic paradigm that exploits the Earth’s resources and marginalizes the poorest,” according to America magazine (americamagazine.org)
The day after, U.S. President Donald Trump, had Vice President Vance deliver a letter to Pope Leo XIV to invite him to the White House. CBS News (cbsnews.com) reported that in their meeting, Vance gave Pope Leo XIV a Chicago Bears jersey and congratulated him on his papacy.
Pope Leo XIV’s election has been met with excitement, especially by his fellow Americans. In fact, ABC News (abcnews.com) reported that former-President Barack Obama proclaimed his support of the new pope, saying, “Michelle and I send our congratulations to a fellow Chicagoan, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV. This is a historic day for the United States, and we will pray for him as he begins the sacred work of leading the Catholic Church and setting an example for so many, regardless of faith.”
