Who is Leo XIV? With Robert Prevost, an American Pope is for the first time
For a long time, a Pope from the most powerful country in the earth was taboo. But with Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, the United States now has its first citizen on the Papal throne. Because the 69-year-old is at least as at home in the World Church and in the Roman Curia as in the country of his birth.
Habemus Papam: This is the announcement formula
Under Pope Francis, the order man headed the Vatican Authority for Bishops, the HR department of the Catholic World Church. In this function, he has been responsible for bishop’s names worldwide in the past two years. The so-called AD Limina visits to bishops of the World Church also run through his former authority. Bishops’ conferences regularly come to the Vatican for reporting on their local church.
This made Prevost one of the best -known faces in the Cardinal College – which was never so scattered over the world and hardly knew himself in front of the conclave. The church man, born in Chicago in September 1955, is considered a diplomatic, pragmatic and estimated in progressive and conservative church representatives, as well as with his employees.
Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost after announcing the pope election. Photo: AFP
Great international experience
He did not just gain international experience through his last position in the curia. In 1977 he joined the Augustinian order and was sent to Rome for studying canal law. Then his order sent him to Peru as a missionary. Until the early 2000s, he switched between different positions in the USA and Peru – mainly worked in the training of young religious men. He speaks Spanish and Italian with a slight English accent.
The church man, born in Chicago in September 1955, is considered a diplomatic, pragmatic and estimated in progressive and conservative church representatives, as well as with his employees.
In 2002 the Augustinian order chose him to be his global director. Prevost went to Rome for two terms. In the general curiad of his order near the Vatican, the American has lived since he returned to the eternal city in early 2023. Previously, he led the diocese of Chiclayo in Peru, was the second vice president of the Peruvian bishop’s conference polarized.
Francis brought him to the Vatican
In the South American country, Pope Francis met him, who finally brought him into the Vatican as head of the bishop’s authority and made him a cardinal. At the same time, Prevost was also President of the Papal Commission for Latin America. If the cardinals entitled to vote votes for him, the American could not only lead a globally organized order, but also lead the entire Catholic Church with its 1.4 billion members.
The smoke was white – and otherwise?
He should continue his predecessor in the direction of a church with more participation of all believers. Francis had extended this path again shortly before his death by scheduling a « church general assembly » for October 2028. It is quite possible that the Luxembourg Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich plays a leading role in this.
The next religious in the papal office will probably also want to continue the modest and close -to -human style of Francis.
The editor’s note: The newly elected Pope was covered on a first AFP photo. So we replaced it.
