Habemus Papam: Robert Francis Prevost, the Spanish-speaking US citizen who is the new Pope, Leo XIV
Leo XIV is the first American Pope, and seems to have a socially engaged yet doctrinally conservative outlook
The Catholic Church has a new Pope: American Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost. Following the traditional proclamation of ‘Habemus Papam’, the newly elected pontiff, now known as Leo XIV, addressed over 40,000 faithful from the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica in Vatican Square.
At 69 years old, Prevost is the youngest Pope since John Paul II was appointed in 1978. He also becomes the first pontiff from North America and the first from the United States, a country with more than 70 million Catholics, making Catholicism the second largest faith group there after Protestantism.
Born in Chicago, Prevost has an extensive history of ministry in Peru (South America), where he served as the apostolic administrator of the province of Callao and even went on to get Peruvian citizenship. He even made part of his inaugural speech as Pope in Spanish, giving a shoutout to his former diocese in Peru. Since 2023, he has led the Dicastery for Bishops in Rome, one of the most significant departments within the Vatican administration.
His chosen papal name, Leo XIV, signals a conscious link to Leo XIII (1878–1903), a pope known for his dedication to social justice, most notably expressed in the encyclical ‘Rerum Novarum’, which addressed the rights and conditions of workers during the Industrial Revolution.
Prevost is recognised for his approachable demeanour and socially oriented pastoral style, which contrasts sharply with the image of former US President Donald Trump. Before his election, Prevost had openly criticised anti-immigration policies in the United States. In his final post on X (formerly Twitter) before becoming Pope, he shared a message condemning mass deportations to El Salvador: “Do you not see the suffering? Is your conscience not disturbed? How can you stay quiet?”
Despite their stark differences, Trump was among the first world leaders to congratulate Leo XIV, expressing enthusiasm at the prospect of meeting the new leader of the Catholic Church and welcoming the appointment of an American to the papacy.
In his first speech in St. Peter’s Square this Thursday, May 8, Leo XIV referenced his predecessor, Pope Francis, twice, hinting at a degree of continuity with the Argentine pontiff’s direction. However, his background suggests a more conservative turn following the progressive reforms associated with Jorge Bergoglio’s papacy.
The significance of his papal name choice cannot be understated. Had he chosen Francis II, his intentions would have been clearer in terms of maintaining a direct ideological link to his predecessor. By selecting the name Leo XIV, he evokes Leo XIII’s legacy of social teaching, suggesting a strong commitment to social issues rooted in Catholic tradition.
His missionary experience in Peru further reinforces this image, pointing to a papacy more aligned with addressing poverty and inequality than doctrinal debate. This orientation aligns him more closely with Francis than with Benedict XVI or John Paul II, whose tenures focused more heavily on issues of sexual morality and less on social justice.
Nonetheless, Leo XIV is not expected to be progressive on doctrinal matters, including gender and sexual diversity. He is regarded as more reserved in these areas than Francis. In 2012, Prevost criticised some media for what he described as their “sympathy” for the “homosexual lifestyle” and “alternative families formed by same-sex couples and their adopted children”.
These comments likely helped secure support from conservative cardinals who had strongly opposed Francis’s more inclusive approach. In his first address, Prevost affirmed that “God loves everyone, unconditionally”. Whether this marks a shift from his earlier views or simply reflects a generalised religious sentiment remains unclear.
On the matter of internal Church reform, Leo XIV is expected to maintain many of Francis’s initiatives, particularly those aimed at combating clerical abuse, rooting out corruption and encouraging greater synodality, efforts to make the Church more participatory and transparent. A significant reversal of these reforms would be difficult, given their widespread support among the faithful. However, internal Vatican dynamics could affect the pace at which these reforms continue.
Leo XIV has also taken a clear stance in favour of migrants’ rights, a subject that brings him into alignment with Francis. Still, he is perceived as more reserved and less charismatic than his predecessor, making it unlikely he will champion political causes with the same boldness as the Argentinian Pope.
In essence, the cardinals have chosen a Pope who aligns with Francis on social priorities, particularly concerning migration and internal reforms, while representing a more conservative voice on doctrine. The Catholic Church appears to be easing the pace of Francis’s reformist wave rather than reversing it.
Image: Vatican
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