Cardinal Robert Prevost was inaugurated as the new pope on May 8, 2025, expressing, “Peace be with you all!” (CNN, 2025). Prevost, now known as Pope Leo XIV, was born in Chicago, Illinois. He attended Villanova University in Pennsylvania and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics. Prevost previously studied theology at the Catholic Theological Union of Chicago, and he was ordained a priest in 1982. He spent two decades as a missionary in Peru, even obtaining citizenship there. Prevost became a cardinal in 2023 and served in the Vatican office, which appoints Catholic bishops across the globe, for two years before becoming pope.
While Robert Prevost, being the first American pope, has stirred up wariness in European cardinals about the global influence of Americans, Prevost's ties to Latin America and his dual nationality helped close the political and cultural gap. He seems to be similar to his predecessor, Pope Francis, in his style of leadership, valuing inclusion and emphasizing social justice. “He has championed inclusion, especially toward marginalized groups, and has voiced compassion for the LGBTQ community” (The Parnas Perspective, 2025). Therefore, careful optimism prevails among LGBTQ+ community members. However, Prevost has not shown any openness to the changing Church’s teachings on same-sex marriage or the ordination of women.
Leo XIV is registered as a voter in the Chicago suburbs, and records show that he has voted for both Democratic and Republican parties in several general elections. Before his inauguration as pope, Prevost shared his views about politics on X, formerly known as Twitter, under the account of @drprevost. Several of his posts criticized Trump’s stance on immigration and J.D. Vance’s interpretation of Jesus.
MAGA Republicans are currently lashing out at the election of the new pope, considering the resurfacing of Prevost’s critical past tweets about Trump and Vance. They're calling him “woke” and “Marxist,” accusing him of pushing a left-wing agenda (The Parnas Perspective, 2025).
The inauguration of Leo XIV signifies a period of likely change within the Roman Catholic Church, as he has demonstrated progressive approaches to social issues, such as advocating for marginalized groups. Whether or not Pope Leo XIV will break the norm or simply construct upon the already established ground is still unknown. However, a new era has already been founded with the position of pope being occupied by an American.