New Pope Has Chicago Roots

The first-ever American pope is also a Chicagoan pope.

Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, born on the South Side of Chicago, was elected today as the 267th pope of the Roman Catholic Church. He attended the old St. Mary of the Assumption on 137th Street before leaving home for Augustine Seminary High School, eventually going on to Villanova University.

Prevost takes the name Pope Leo XIV. The news comes after a two-day conclave at the Vatican.

Prevost succeeds Pope Francis, who died April 21. He is considered a “balanced” replacement in terms of the more inclusive agenda championed by Pope Francis. (In 2012, Prevost indicated that homosexuality is “at odds with the gospel.”)

Most recently, Prevost was prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops. He has also been president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America since 2023, mainly residing in Peru, where he holds dual nationality.