After just one day of seclusion in the Vatican, cardinals ended the 2025 papal conclave with the election of a new pontiff. The man chosen, Cardinal Robert Prevost, will be known as Pope Leo XIV — the first pope ever from the United States.
Here's what to know about him.
What was Pope Leo XIV's record as Cardinal Robert Prevost?Chicago-born Cardinal Robert Prevost is the first U.S. pope in the church's history. He is also a citizen of Peru, where he worked for many years.
Prevost was the head of the church's Dicastery for Bishops, meaning he oversaw the selection of new bishops.
Overall, he's considered a centrist, but on many social issues he's seen as progressive, embracing marginalized groups like Francis, who championed migrants and the poor. But Prevost opposes ordaining women as deacons, for instance, so he's seen as conservative on church doctrine.
Where is Pope Leo XIV from?Pope Leo XIV was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1955. He studied theology at the Catholic Theological Union of Chicago. When he was 27, he was sent to Rome to study, and he was ordained as a priest in 1982. He then went to work as a missionary Peru.
Why do popes change their names?The first act of a new pope after he's elected is to choose a new name. This is to signify that his becoming pontiff is akin to a second birth, the Vatican said. Also, in the early years of Christianity, many popes changed their names because their birth names were of pagan origin.
The precedent to select a new name was set by the first pope, St. Peter, whose birth name was Simon, the Vatican said.
But not all popes have selected new names. Out of the 267 popes throughout history, only 129 have chosen new names, according to the Vatican.
How do popes choose their names?Popes sometimes choose the name of a recent predecessor out of respect or to indicate a desire to continue in their footsteps, the Vatican said.
Others choose a name that isn't linked to any recent predecessors in order to show their desire to innovate. Pope Francis, for example, was the first pope in history to take the name of St. Francis of Assisi.
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Haley Ott