Meet America’s first Pope: Cardinal Robert Prevost aka Pope Leo XIV

by Nomonde Simelane

The 8th of May 2025 has marked one of the most important days for the Catholic religion as 133 Cardinal electors selected Cardinal Robert Prevost as the next pontiff, making him the first American to serve a a Pope.

Recently, news of the passing of Pope Francis took the world by storm, as the catholic community, as well as the international community, not only mourned the loss of a significant leader, but also quickly had to figure out who would be the best candidate to fill his big shoes.

This year’s election has been a tale of the underdog, as it is no secret that the papal conclave consisted of some notable names such as Ghana’s Peter Turkson, and Philippines’ Luis Tagle, and Italy’s cardinal Matteo Zuppi, who were all favoured to be selected over Cardinal Robert Prevost, who has been named Pope Leo XIV.

Born in Chicago, Illinois, Robert Prevost became the first American pope in the Roman Catholic Church’s rich and illustrious 2000-year history. It appears that the decision was not an easy one, as the first day of the papal conclave resulted in black smoke emitting from the Sistine Chapel, signalling that no candidate had received the required two-thirds majority.

The second day, however, saw one man, Robert Prevost, emerging as the new Bishop of Rome, after white smoke made its way out of the chapel, as tradition requires.

A Villanova University alumnus, Pope Leo XIV was named a cardinal in 2023, which asserted his prominence and strengthened his case as a significant leader in the Catholic Church. He is regarded or seen as a moderate, as in some instances, his views can be progressive as similar to Pope Francis, who has been a champion for embracing marginalised groups such as migrants and the poor. However, like his predecessor,  his stance on matters such as his opposition to ordaining women as deacons as well as his handling of sexual abuse allegations has gained him some criticism from some.

Leaders from across the world, including Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney, as well as Mozambique’s president Daniel Chapo, and Senegalese president Bassirou Diomaye Faye, have begun congratulating the newly elected pope. These leaders had nothing but good things to say about the Bishop.

Also see: Who’s got next? Is the world about to see the first black Pope?