We at Homiletic and Pastoral Review rejoice in the election of His Holiness, Pope Leo XIV, the 267th successor to Saint Peter. Formerly Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost of Chicago, Illinois, the new Holy Father is the first from the United States to be elected to the Chair of Peter.
Pope Leo XIV was born on September 14, 1955, in Chicago, Illinois. A member of the Order of Saint Augustine (O.S.A.), he entered the novitiate in 1977 and made solemn vows in 1981. He holds degrees from Villanova University, Catholic Theological Union, and the Pontifical College of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum) in Rome, where he earned his doctorate in canon law.
Ordained to the priesthood in 1982, Prevost devoted much of his early ministry to Peru, where he served in various pastoral and educational roles. He was chancellor of the Territorial Prélature of Chulucanas, head of the Augustinian seminary in Trujillo, diocesan teacher and prefect of studies, parish pastor, and judicial vicar.
In 1999, he returned to the U.S. and was elected provincial prior of his province in Chicago. In 2001, he was elected Prior General of the Augustinians, serving two terms until 2013.
Pope Francis appointed Prevost apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Chiclayo, Peru, in 2014, and later as its bishop in 2015. He became an influential figure in Peru during political crises, serving as vice president of the Peruvian Bishops’ Conference and temporarily as apostolic administrator of Callao (2020–2021).
In 2023, Pope Francis appointed him Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, one of the most powerful curial positions responsible for the selection of bishops. Later that year, on September 30, 2023, he was created Cardinal.
Throughout his curial and episcopal ministry, Cardinal Prevost was known for his discretion, listening ability, and theological balance.
On May 5, 2025, Cardinal Prevost was elected as Supreme Pontiff and took the name Leo XIV, signaling a commitment to the pastoral and doctrinal balance of his predecessors and to the reforming spirit of Pope Francis.
In Pope Leo XIV, Our Lord has blessed His Church with a leader of a deep background in missionary and pastoral work, extensive curial and administrative experience, a reputation for prudence, listening, and theological moderation, and a vision shaped by his lifelong commitment to the Order of Saint Augustine. May the Lord Jesus, the Good Shepherd, keep the Church under the watchful care of Saint Peter, the Keeper of the Keys to the Kingdom.
About HPRweb.com
Speak Your Mind