The worldwide press have made a huge fanfare about Pope Leo XIV, the first US Pope. Yet a little study shows that he is arguably much more international than first meets the eye.
The relatively rapid election of Cardinal Prevost ends speculation about whether the new pope would be similar to the fairly radical Pope Francis, or a more conservative choice. I want to suggest that the choice of Cardinal Prevost is rather nuanced and focus on who he is and what he is likely to stand for.
Pope Leo XIV: a multinational candidate
Robert Francis Prevost was born in Chicago in 1955. His ancestry, going back only a couple of generations, includes Spanish, Italian and French roots. His bachelor’s degree is in mathematics and he was ordained after theological studies in 1982. After ordination he didn’t stay long in the US, leaving for missionary work in Peru in 1985-86 and 1988-98, the latter spent heading the Augustinian seminary in Trujillo while working pastorally as a priest. He has a record of success in encouraging Peruvian vocations and growing the cohort of Peruvian ordinands under his aegis. He also successfully developed ordinands into leadership positions in Peru.
He returned to the US and between 1998 and 2014 served initially as Prior Provincial for one province, later becoming Prior General for the whole Augustinian order. It’s worth noting that he was elected to both of these positions. Thus, he has previous form for winning secret elections. I might add that as well as being the first US pope, he is also the first Augustinian in the role.
Back to Peru, but all roads lead to Rome
In 2014 he returned to Peru and was made Bishop of Sufar, subsequently becoming Bishop of Chiclayo in 2015. As part of this, under a diplomatic agreement, he became a Peruvian citizen. While there he was traditional in advocating for established Catholic views on abortion and euthanasia. He was accused by a pressure group of being less than thorough in investigating claims of abuse by priests during his ministry there.
Throughout his ministry Prevost has seemed to be a protégé of Pope Francis. In January 2023, he was appointed to be prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, which makes recommendations regarding the appointments to the status of bishop. He has been in the Vatican since then. It’s interesting to note that he was only ordained a cardinal in 2023. In Rome he was apparently considered “the least American of the Americans”. With his history of relatively youthful election and appointment to influential roles, his tenure in the Dicastery of Bishops is indicative of leadership ability. He is reputed to be quiet but clear on what he thinks needs to be done. Kudos to Christopher White of the National Reporter, who tipped him as the strongest candidate on 30 April.
What does he stand for?
Prior to conclave, there was considerable speculation about what sort of pope would be chosen. Pope Francis was arguably quite a controversial pope in terms of his stance on some traditional Catholic positions, so there was conjecture that this time a more conservative candidate might be chosen. One might argue that the choice of Pope Leo is an attempt to compromise on both.
In terms of his beliefs, the first thing to note is that according to a report, his choice of papal name is influenced by his respect for Pope Leo XIII. Leo XIII wrote a papal encyclical ‘Rerum Novarum’ (of new things) in 1891 which deals heavily with the social challenges at that time between business owners and labour, and the need to address major changes in society, as the title suggests. The new Leo XIV is concerned about the impact of more res novae (new things) such as AI and robotics, and how the Church will need to engage with these realities.
Leo XIV’s views on key issues
Prevost is in some ways more centrist and less progressive than his predecessor on key issues:
- LGBTQ+ matters: Prevost holds a less liberal position on LGBTQ+ issues than his predecessor. In October 2023 Pope Francis wrote is support of selective blessings for same sex unions on a case-by-case basis. Prevost, by contrast, voiced the need for dialogue between different episcopal conferences to reflect local cultural views on, for example, homosexuality. A more centrist and nuanced view, but a very difficult issue to agree upon in the church.
- Helping migrants. Prevost has a history of speaking up for migrants and was a vocal supporter of approximately 1.5m Venezuelan migrants who entered Chile fleeing from the issues with the Venezuelan economy. He also has been vocal in his social media posts about the immigration policies of Trump and Vance.
Climate action: Prevost has echoed Pope Francis’ stance on climate change, famously saying in 2024: “Dominion over nature”, the task which God gave humanity, should not become “tyrannical.”
- Impact of AI: Prevost has expressed concerns about the impact of artificial intelligence on labour and human dignity, and reemphasised this after his election. In the same address he stressed the need to continue what Pope Francis started: “Let us take up this precious legacy and continue on the journey”.
- Church governance: Here Leo aligns with his predecessor. He is a strong advocate for synodality, which is promoting wider debate and constructive dialogue over issues where there is potential for conflict. His protagonists hope that his more centrist stance and good relationships with all wings of the church will enable him to promote such dialogue between more the radical and more conservative members.
- Life issues: Pope Leo XIV opposes euthanasia, abortion, and the death penalty, in line with traditional Catholic teachings on the sanctity of life. In this context he aligns completely with his predecessor.
- Role of women. During his papacy, Francis opened more leadership roles to women and set up commissions to study the possibility of women becoming deacons. Francis appointed Prevost, who implemented a change, adding three women to the group that decides on bishop nominations. Leo has endorsed limits to women’s ministry in the Church. In a 2023 Vatican news conference, he stated: “Women can add a great deal to the life of the church on many different levels”.
A divinely inspired choice?
Pope Leo XIV appears to be a promising choice to follow the papacy of Francis. On first assessment, he seems to strike a good balance between continuity of the more radical aspects of Pope Francis’ papacy, while his less radical stance on some core traditional issues will ease the concerns of more conservative Catholics. His strong relationships with all wings of the church and his commitment to promoting honest but respectful dialogue may prove vital in leading the church through some controversial modern issues with which the church will have to grapple. I think he may prove to be an excellent choice, and, as a Christian, I sincerely wish him well.
