Historic New Pope Is a Chicago Native

The Catholic Church has its first-ever American pope. Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost was elected by his fellow cardinals on Thursday, reports the Guardian. Prevost, 69, is a native of Chicago who served for two decades in Peru, first as a missionary and then as an archbishop, per the AP and the New York Times. His chosen name as pope will be Leo XIV. He entered the papal conclave with some clout: Pope Francis brought him to the Vatican in 2023 to lead a powerful office that vets the nomination of bishops from around the world.

Prevost also has Peruvian citizenship, which may have helped mitigate any anti-American sentiment. American candidates typically haven't fared well, given that the US already wields plenty of world power. Prevost is a member of the Order of St. Augustine, and in that respect he is similar to Francis in his devotion to the poor and to migrants, per the Times. "The bishop is not supposed to be a little prince sitting in his kingdom," he was quoted as telling the Vatican news website last year. (More pope stories.)