First American pope, Pope Leo XIV sets world record

May 10, 2025

Vatican City State---Cardinal Robert Prevost, a 69-year-old from Chicago, a leader with global experience, has been elected the 267th pontiff and will be known as Pope Leo XIV; he sets the world record for being the First American pope, according to the WORLD RECORD ACADEMY.

"Cardinal Robert Prevost has been elected as the first US-born pontiff and will be known as Pope Leo XIV. Leo made his first remarks as pope from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica in front of tens of thousands of onlookers, calling for peace and paying tribute to the late Pope Francis," the CNN reports.

"Leo, a 69-year-old from Chicago, is a leader with global experience. He spent much of his career as a missionary in South America and holds dual citizenship in the US and Peru, where he served as a bishop. He most recently led a powerful Vatican office for bishop appointments. He is expected to build on Pope Francis’ reforms.

"The pope’s election prompted an outpouring of congratulations from world leaders, who expressed eagerness to work with the pontiff on global issues. US President Donald Trump called the historic selection a great honor for the country."

"American Cardinal Robert Prevost has been elected the 267th pontiff. He has chosen the name Leo XIV, a senior cardinal deacon announced. The 69-year-old Chicago native is the first American pope and is seen as a diplomat in the church," the ABC News reports.

"In addition to being the first pope from the United States, Leo is the first Augustinian friar to be elected pontiff. He graduated from Villanova University, one of only two Augustinian Catholic universities in the nation, in 1977.

"Francis brought Pope Leo to work at the Vatican after first appointing him in 2014 to serve as the bishop of Chiclayo, Peru. He has spent the majority of his time in Peru, where he has also worked as a teacher, missionary and parish priest. During his remarks from the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica on Thursday, Leo spoke briefly in Spanish and greeted the Diocese of Chiclayo in Peru specifically."

"Even before his name was announced from the balcony of St Peter's Basilica, the crowds below were chanting "Viva il Papa" - Long live the Pope. Robert Francis Prevost, 69, has become the 267th occupant of the throne of St Peter and he will be known as Leo XIV," the BBC reports.

"He is the first American to fill the role of pope, although he is considered as much a cardinal from Latin America because of the many years he spent as a missionary in Peru. Born in Chicago in 1955 to parents of Spanish and Franco-Italian descent, Leo served as an altar boy and was ordained in 1982.

"Although he moved to Peru three years later, he returned regularly to the US to serve as a priest and a prior in his home city. He has Peruvian nationality and is fondly remembered as a figure who worked with marginalised communities and helped build bridges."

"Catholic cardinals broke with tradition Thursday and elected the first U.S. pope, making Chicago-born missionary Robert Prevost the 267th pontiff to lead the Catholic Church in a moment of global turmoil and conflict. Prevost, a 69-year-old member of the Augustinian religious order who spent his career ministering in Peru, took the name Leo XIV," the AP reports.

"Francis, history’s first Latin American pope, clearly had his eye on Prevost and in many ways saw him as his heir apparent. He sent Prevost to take over a complicated diocese in Peru, then brought him to the Vatican in 2023 to serve as the powerful head of the office that vets bishop nominations from around the world, one of the most important jobs in the Catholic Church.

"Since arriving in Rome, Prevost has kept a low public profile but was well-known to the men who count. Significantly, he presided over one of the most revolutionary reforms Francis made, when he added three women to the voting bloc that decides which bishop nominations to forward to the pope."

"Pope Leo XIV (born Robert Francis Prevost; September 14, 1955) is the current head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State. He has been the Pope since May 8, 2025. He was the Bishop of Chiclayo in Peru from 2015 to 2023. He was made a cardinal in 2023 by Pope Francis. In the same year, Francis made him the Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops. He was born in Chicago, Illinois.

"On May 8, 2025, he was elected Pope and chose the name Leo XIV. He is the first ever United States citizen to be voted Pope and the first citizen of Peru to be elected Pope.

"Robert Francis Prevost was born on September 14, 1955, at Mercy Hospital in the Bronzeville neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. His mother, Mildred (née Martínez) Prevost, graduated from DePaul University with a bachelor's degree in 1947, while his father, Louis Marius Prevost, was a United States Navy veteran of World War II.[8][9] Prevost has two older brothers, Louis and John.

"He was raised in Dolton, Illinois, a suburb close to Chicago's far South Side. He finished his secondary education at St. Augustine Seminary High School, a minor seminary in Holland, Michigan, in 1973." (Wikipedia)

FIRST BLESSING “URBI ET ORBI” OF HIS HOLINESS POPE LEO XIV

"Dear brothers and sisters, these are the first words spoken by the risen Christ, the Good Shepherd who laid down his life for God’s flock. I would like this greeting of peace to resound in your hearts, in your families, among all people, wherever they may be, in every nation and throughout the world. Peace be with you!

"It is the peace of the risen Christ. A peace that is unarmed and disarming, humble and persevering. A peace that comes from God, the God who loves us all, unconditionally.

"We can still hear the faint yet ever courageous voice of Pope Francis as he blessed Rome, the Pope who blessed Rome, who gave his blessing to the world, the whole world, on the morning of Easter. Allow me to extend that same blessing: God loves us, God loves you all, and evil will not prevail! All of us are in God’s hands. So, let us move forward, without fear, together, hand in hand with God and with one another other!

"We are followers of Christ. Christ goes before us. The world needs his light. Humanity needs him as the bridge that can lead us to God and his love. Help us, one and all, to build bridges through dialogue and encounter, joining together as one people, always at peace. Thank you, Pope Francis!" (Read more...)

"Robert Francis Prevost was elected on Thursday to lead the world’s 1.4 billion Roman Catholics, making him the first pope from the United States. He chose the name Leo XIV," The New York Times reports.

"Despite his American roots, his life has transcended borders. He served for two decades in Peru, where he became a bishop and a naturalized citizen, then rose to lead his international religious order.

"Leading up to the death of his predecessor, Cardinal Prevost held one of the most influential Vatican posts, running the office that selects and manages bishops globally."

"Chicago-born Robert Francis Prevost, 69, will lead the Catholic Church as Pope Leo XIV, becoming the first pope from the United States, whom Vatican experts say mirrors his predecessor’s championing of the poor," the Forbes reports.

"Prevost was elected after just four ballots on day two of the papal conclave, largely in line with the length of recent conclaves, and he assumes the papacy more than two weeks after Pope Francis died.

"Vatican experts have considered Leo XIV more of a centrist than his liberal-leaning predecessor, with CNN’s Vatican analyst Elise Allen stating he is seen as “somebody who is calm and balanced, who is even-handed,” and is known as an “exceptional leader.”

Photos: First American pope, Cardinal Robert Prevost sets world record

(1-5) Vatican City Media