Who is Cardinal Robert Prevost?
Biography:
Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, is a Chicago native born in 1955.
After joining the Order of Saint Augustine in 1977 and making his solemn vows in 1981, he earned degrees in mathematics, divinity, and canon law—including a doctorate from the Pontifical College of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome.
Newly elected Pope Leo XIV, Robert Prevost addresses the crowd on the main central loggia balcony of the St Peter’s Basilica for the first time, after the cardinals ended the conclave, in The Vatican, on May 8, 2025. (Photo by TIZIANA FABI/AFP via Ge
Dig deeper:
Prevost was ordained in 1982 and began his pastoral and academic service in Peru in 1985, where he served in roles such as chancellor, seminary rector, canon law professor, and judicial vicar.
In 1999, Prevost was elected provincial prior of the Augustinians in Chicago, and just a few years later, he became prior general of the worldwide order, serving two terms until 2013.
He then returned to Peru at Pope Francis’ request to serve as apostolic administrator—and later bishop—of the Diocese of Chiclayo.
In January 2023, Pope Francis appointed Prevost prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, a powerful Vatican role responsible for episcopal appointments worldwide.
He was made a cardinal in September of the same year.
The most recent post on Prevost’s personal X account appears to be a retweet of an opinion piece criticizing the Trump administration’s actions on immigration.
File: Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost (C) is seen during a Pro Eligendo Romano Pontifice Mass ahead of the Conclave, in which he and the other cardinal electors are called to elect a new Pope, at the Vatican on May 7, 2025 (Photo by Riccardo De Luca/