New Pope, the American Prevost: now Leo XIV

Rome (with Gea Agency) – It’s white smoke after the fourth vote. The 133 cardinal electors in the Sistine Chapel elected the 267th Pope: the American Robert Francis Prevost, 69, who chose the name Leo XIV. After the fourth vote, the 133 cardinal electors in the Sistine Chapel elected the 267th Pope.
Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops in the pontificate of Pope Francis and president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America. His Augustinian formation and long pastoral experience in South America have profoundly influenced his ecclesial and social vision, making him a profile valued by both the United States and the Global South.

The new pontiff embodies a vision that combines spirituality, social justice, and environmental responsibility, promoting a concrete and shared commitment to care for the common home.

“We sincerely congratulate His Holiness Leo XIV on his election as Pope and head of the Catholic Church,” wrote European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Council President Antonio Costa in a joint message. “Millions of Europeans draw daily inspiration from the Church’s enduring commitment to peace, human dignity, and mutual understanding among nations.

We are confident,” they continue, “that Pope Leo XIV will use his voice on the global stage to promote these shared values and encourage unity in the pursuit of a more just and compassionate world.”
Costa and von der Leyen add that “The European Union stand ready to work closely with the Holy See to confront global challenges and nurture a spirit of solidarity, respect and kindness.
We wish that Pope Leo XIV’s pontificate be guided by wisdom and strength, as he leads the Catholic community and inspires the world through his commitment to peace and dialogue.”

Born in Chicago on Sept. 14, 1955, he is an Augustinian missionary with a degree in Mathematics and Philosophy. He was sent on mission in Peru for several years before becoming provincial of the Augustinian province of Chicago in 1999. Recalled to Rome by Pope Francis to fill the very delicate role of prefect of bishops, he was created cardinal by Bergoglio on Sept. 30, 2023.

The pope is a staunch advocate of integral ecology. In 2024, during the seminar “Facing the Problems of the Environmental Crisis in the Light of Laudato si’ and Laudate Deum,” he stressed the need to move “from words to deeds,” basing the response to the environmental crisis on the Social Doctrine of the Church. For Prevost, the “dominion over nature,” entrusted by God to humanity, must not turn into “tyranny,” but must be lived as a “relationship of reciprocity” with the environment.

Leo XIV also warns against the consequences of uncontrolled technological development. He highlights the importance of a humane economy that respects the environment and promotes circular production and consumption patterns, opposing the “culture of waste,” reiterating that the economy should improve, not destroy, our world.

Prevost recalls the Holy See’s concrete commitment to environmental protection, from installing the maxi photovoltaic system on the roof of Paul VI Hall to the ongoing transition to all-electric vehicles in the Vatican. Actions that, he punctuates, “testify to the Church’s willingness to be a model of sustainability.”

For the new pope, global cooperation must underpin the fight against the climate crisis, with a legal, political and economic order that can strengthen the world’s joint work for “the development of all peoples in solidarity.”