Pope Leo XIV
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Prior to his election as Pope Leo XIV, Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost was Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops. Here is the biography of the 267th Bishop of Rome.
By Vatican News
The first Augustinian Pope, Leo XIV is the second Roman Pontiff - after Pope Francis - from the Americas. Unlike Jorge Mario Bergoglio, however, the 69-year-old Robert Francis Prevost is from the northern part of the continent, though he spent many years as a missionary in Peru before being elected head of the Augustinians for two consecutive terms... {Click Image to read full Biography}
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Vatican News - about the Pope >
Pope Leo XIV asked Catholics to observe Aug. 22 as a day of prayer and fasting for peace and justice, particularly in Ukraine and in the Holy Land.
Pope Leo XIV presided over the solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity in St. Peter’s Basilica on Sunday and invited Catholics to enter the “dynamism of God’s inner life” and be open to encounter with others.
Launching his papacy with a call for reconciliation and communion, Pope Leo XIV formally began his ministry as the successor of St. Peter by calling for “a united church, a sign of unity and communion, which becomes a leaven for a reconciled world.”
Pope Leo XIV delivered the following homily at the Mass for the Initiation of the Petrine Ministry in St. Peter's Square on Sunday, May 18, after being elected the 266th successor of St. Peter on May 8.
Pope Leo XIV will formally begin his ministry as bishop of Rome with a liturgy steeped in tradition and rich in symbolism May 18.
2012 Interview with then Fr. Robert Prevost
Bishop Barbarito’s Statement
May 8, 2025
Bishop Barbarito’s Statement On the Election of Pope Leo XIV
On his passing, I reflected upon our beloved Pope Francis as a Pope of surprises in so many ways, and in continuing with that I can honestly say that Pope Leo XIV is a Pope of surprises as well.
With so many others, I was convinced that the choice of a Pope from the United States would be most unlikely, but it seems that Pope Francis, from heaven, has given us another surprise. I am delighted by the choice of this man, who possesses so many spiritual gifts, pastoral competency, and linguistic talents.
Pope Leo XIV is an Augustinian priest who spent much of his ministry as a missionary in Peru. He has worked in the Vatican for a number of years and is a true man of the Church in every way. A Pope is chosen by the Holy Spirit, and the office that he holds has nothing to do with his nationality or country of origin. He is a Pope for all Catholics all over the world.
There is no question that Pope Leo XIV will serve with the same zeal, effectiveness, and holiness that so many of our recent extraordinary Popes exhibited within our times. We join in fervent prayer for Pope Leo XIV as he undertakes his new ministry of unity for the Church.
