Cardinal Robert Prevost, a Chicago native, was chosen as successor to Pope Francis. Prevost, who becomes the first American to lead the Roman Catholic Church, has chosen the name Leo XIV.
(Source: Lead Stories' screenshot of Vatican TV)
Prevost's earned a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from Villanova University in 1977, and a Master of Divinity from Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, according to his official biography.
He was awarded a doctorate in canon law from the Pontifical College of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome. His doctoral thesis was on "The role of the local prior in the Order of Saint Augustine."
Other details from his bio as provided to Lead Stories by the College of Cardinals:
His career in the Church has been marked by significant roles and achievements. After his ordination as a priest in 1982, Prevost joined the Augustinian mission in Peru in 1985 and served as chancellor of the Territorial Prélature of Chulucanas from 1985 to 1986.
He spent the year 1987 to 1988 in the United States as pastor for vocations and director of missions for the Augustinian Province of Chicago before returning to Peru where he spent the next ten years heading the Augustinian seminary in Trujillo and teaching canon law in the diocesan seminary, where he was also prefect of studies. He also served in other capacities there, including as a parish pastor, diocesan official, director of formation, seminary teacher, and judicial vicar.
In 1999, he returned to Chicago and was elected provincial prior of the "Mother of Good Counsel" province in the archdiocese. Two and a half years later he was elected prior general of the Augustinian and served two terms until 2013.
In 2014, he returned to Peru when Pope Francis appointed him apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Chiclayo. He was elevated to Bishop of Chiclayo in 2015. While there, he also served as vice-president and member of the permanent council of the Peruvian Bishops' Conference from 2018 to 2023.
White smoke emerged from the chimney of the Vatican's Sistine Chapel Thursday evening, signaling that the conclave of cardinals made their decision.
(Source: Lead Stories' screenshot of Vatican TV)
The decision appears to have been made on the third ballot, which came on the second day of the conclave.
The new pope was announced about an hour after the smoke first appeared by French Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, who is the senior Cardinal Deacon in the College of Cardinals.
