Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, overcame a taboo against a US pontiff

VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis brought Robert Prevost to the Vatican successful 2023 as the almighty head of the bureau that vets bishop nominations, 1 of the astir important jobs successful the Catholic Church. On Thursday, helium ascended to become Pope Leo XIV — the archetypal American pontiff.

Prevost, 69, had to flooded the taboo against a U.S. pope, fixed the geopolitical powerfulness already wielded by the United States successful the secular sphere.

The Chicago autochthonal is besides a Peruvian national and lived for years successful Peru, archetypal arsenic a missionary and past arsenic an archbishop.

He had prominence going into the conclave that fewer different cardinals have.

Prevost was doubly elected anterior general, oregon apical leader, of the Augustinians, the 13th period spiritual bid founded by St. Augustine. Francis intelligibly had an oculus connected him for years, moving him from the Augustinian enactment backmost to Peru successful 2014 to service arsenic the head and aboriginal archbishop of Chiclayo.

He remained successful that position, acquiring Peruvian citizenship successful 2015, until Francis brought him to Rome successful 2023 to presume the presidency of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America. In that occupation helium would person kept successful regular interaction with the Catholic hierarchy successful the portion of the satellite that counts the astir Catholics.

Ever since arriving successful Rome, Prevost has kept a debased nationalist profile, but helium was good known to the men who count.

Significantly, helium presided implicit 1 of the astir revolutionary reforms Francis made, erstwhile helium added three women to the voting bloc that decides which bishop nominations to guardant to the pope. In aboriginal 2025, Francis again showed his esteem by appointing Prevost to the astir elder fertile of cardinals.

The Rev. Fidel Purisaca Vigil, the communications manager for Prevost’s aged diocese successful Chiclayo, remembers the cardinal rising each time and having meal with his chap priests aft saying his prayers.

“No substance however galore problems helium has, helium maintains bully wit and joy,” Purisaca said successful an email.

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Briceño reported from Lima, Peru.

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