First American pope in the history of the Catholic Church

The first American pope in the history of the Catholic Church has been elected. Hailing from Chicago, Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost also holds Peruvian citizenship from living there for years as a missionary and later as an archbishop.

Prevost has been the head of the church’s Dicastery for Bishops, where he oversaw the selection of new bishops.

Although Prevost is generally regarded as a centrist, he holds progressive views on several important social issues. Like Pope Francis, he has consistently shown support for marginalized communities, including migrants and the poor.

However, also mirroring Francis, the Chicago native maintains a conservative stance on certain aspects of church doctrine—for example, he opposes the ordination of women as deacons.

The new Pope Leo XIV, dedicated a few words in Spanish this Thursday in his first appearance to the world as pontiff to remember his “beloved” diocese of Chiclayo, Peru.

“And if you will allow me a word, a greeting… to all those, in a particular way, to my beloved diocese of Chiclayo in Peru,” proclaimed the newly elected pontiff from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican.