Leo XIV, the discreet cardinal who is an expert on Latin America

"And if you allow me a word, a greeting... to all those, in particular, to my beloved diocese of Chiclayo in Peru ," said Leo XIV in Spanish before thousands of faithful crowded in St. Peter's Square. Francis's successor , of American origin, did not want to miss the opportunity to include in his first speech as Pope a country where he has spent many years of his life and whose nationality he has held since 2015.

Affable, moderate, and reserved, Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost is the first American pope in the history of the Church, something Donald Trump himself has called "a great honor." He is also the second from the American continent and the fourth non-Italian in the last 48 years.

This continues a 48-year streak initiated by the Polish John Paul II (Karol Wojtyla) in 1978 (the first in more than four centuries of history).

This missionary of the ancient Order of Saint Augustine was one of Francis's great bets , who appointed him responsible for the bishops of the entire world and for their commission for Latin America.

He has been a close collaborator of the late Pope Francis in recent years and quietly made his way onto the list of papal candidates for this conclave, an outsider amid other big names.

His moderate approach positions him as a bridge between the conservative and reformist factions of the Church, and his vast knowledge of the Americas has earned him the support of cardinals from both the south and north of the continent, many of whom have recently been critical of Francis.

Writer and Vatican affairs specialist Eric Frattini sees the new Pontiff as a "multipurpose Pope," comparable to a "Swiss Army knife," with a profile that grants him strategic versatility. The fact that he was born in Chicago may make him "favorable to those in Washington." He also emphasizes his "experience in economic affairs," demonstrated when "Pope Francis asked him to serve as an advisor on the financial organization of Caritas."

Origins

Prevost was born in 1955 in Chicago, USA. His ecclesiastical career began at the Augustinian novitiate in Saint Louis , where he took his vows in 1981. This was followed by studies in theology and a youthful trip to Rome to study canon law.

After being ordained a priest in 1982, at the age of 28 , he was immediately sent to what would become his second country: Peru , through his mission in Chulucanas, Piura (1985-1986).

This would be the first step in a long journey through Latin America that continued in 1988 at the Peruvian mission in Trujillo, selecting Augustinian vocations in cities such as Chulucanas, Iquitos, and Apurímac, and serving in other roles for a decade in that archdiocese.

A year earlier, he obtained his doctorate with his thesis The Role of the Local Prior in the Order of Saint Augustine and was elected director of vocations and director of missions of the Augustinian Province 'Mother of Good Counsel' of Olympia Fields (Illinois, USA).

Prevost also has extensive teaching experience in his country , including as prior general of the Augustinian Chapter of Chicago, until in 2014, from Rome, Francis placed him in charge of the Peruvian diocese of Chiclayo , as apostolic administrator.

A year later, Francis appointed him Bishop of Chiclayo, and since 2018, he has served as second vice president of the Peruvian Episcopal Conference , addressing, among other things, the serious crisis caused by abuses within the Sodalicio de Vida Cristiana group, which was dissolved this year by the Pope.

Return to Rome

After five years in Peru, in 2023 the Argentine pontiff called him to Rome to make him a cardinal and appoint him prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, the Vatican ministry that elects monsignors from around the world.

At the head of this powerful institution, which controls a vast network of prelates around the world, he also witnessed his mentor's struggles with Catholic conservatives , reflected, for example, in the dismissal of American Bishop Joseph Strickland in November 2011, who was disloyal to the Holy See.

But Francis also appointed him president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America thanks to his extensive knowledge of the subcontinent's reality and peripheries.

Close to Francisco

His role as a "scout" of bishops and his South American experience allow Prevost to maintain continuous contact with the ecclesiastical hierarchy around the world , especially in America, the region with half of the planet's Catholics (about 637 million in 2004).

But his papal election is a novelty not only because he is considered a young cardinal, at 69 years old , but also because he becomes the first Pope to come from the heart of an already sufficiently powerful empire, the United States .

At the teaching level, although cautious, he has spoken in line with Francis, defending the idea of ​​a clergy "close to the people," diametrically opposed to the figure of a "manager" or "administrator."

And regarding the scourge of abuse that has shaken the Church in recent years, and which the Argentine pontiff confronted, he called for the obligation to "be transparent and support the victims."