As a cardinal, Prevost emphasized synodality, missionary dialogue, and engagement with social and technological challenges; he has also addressed climate change, international migration, church governance, and human rights. Prevost's election in the 2025 conclave was unexpected by observers, as he was considered a dark horse candidate. He is the first pope from the United States or North America, and the first to be a citizen of Peru. He is also the first pope from the Order of Saint Augustine. Following the precedent of Pope Leo XIII, who developed modern Catholic social teaching amid the tumult of the Second Industrial Revolution, Prevost chose the papal name Leo XIV—both to echo Leo XIII's concern for workers and fairness, and as a response to the challenges of a new industrial revolution and artificial intelligence.
As pope, Leo has consistently opposed armed conflict and nationalism while advocating for the rights of immigrants. He has introduced new warnings about the use of artificial intelligence technology. Leo has affirmed the teachings of his predecessors, including social teachings and the climate policy of Pope Francis. He has consistently pointed to the teachings of the Second Vatican Council as the "guiding star" of the church. In 2026, he confronted the second Écône consecrations, which resulted in renewed excommunications and schism with the Society of St. Pius X.
Known as "Rob" to his family and "Bob" to friends as an adult, Prevost was raised in Dolton, Illinois, a suburb bordering the far South Side; his childhood home was purchased by the Village of Dolton after he became pope. He grew up in the parish of St. Mary of the Assumption in nearby Riverdale, Chicago. Prevost has two older brothers, Louis Martín and John Joseph. His parents were practicing Catholics who were very involved in the parish: Louis was a catechist—a teacher of the faith—and Mildred was an active member of the Rosary and Altar Society, sang in the church choir, provided services for the church, and went to daily Mass. According to Leo, he was greatly influenced by his parents' faith.
His mother would call him and his brothers to go to Mass before school at 6:30a.m. and told them Jesus "is your best friend," and Mass was "a way to find that friend." Prevost went to the parish Catholic school and served as a choirboy and altar boy. Prevost aspired to the priesthood from a young age and would play-act the Mass at home with his brothers. He decided to enter the Augustinian order in the eighth grade after visits by priests of multiple different religious orders to the family home, later saying the Salesians of Don Bosco "came in second place".
At the Augustinian seminary, he earned a letter of commendation for academic excellence, consistently appeared on the honor roll, served as yearbook editor in chief, and was secretary of the student council and a member of the National Honor Society. He captained the bowling team and headed the speech and debate team, competing in Congressional Debate. Well-liked and highly intelligent, Prevost had a reputation for helping other students as a tutor. Out of several dozen who entered the school with him, Prevost was one of only 13 students in his class to graduate.
University, seminary, and early priesthood (1973–1998)
University
In 1973, Prevost was planning to attend Tolentine College, an Augustinian seminary in Olympia Fields, Illinois, but it closed that same year. Instead, he enrolled in Villanova University, an Augustinian college located near Philadelphia, where he earned a Bachelor of Science (BS) in mathematics in 1977. He also began formation with the Augustinian order, entering the pre-novitiate program early in his time as an undergraduate. At Villanova, he took elective courses in Hebrew and Latin, read the writings of Augustine of Hippo, and discussed the work of theologian Karl Rahner with other students. He was a founding member of Villanovans for Life, the oldest collegiate pro-life club in the United States. While studying at Villanova, Prevost also worked as a cemetery groundskeeper at Saint Denis Catholic Church in Havertown, Pennsylvania.
Entry into Augustinians and seminary studies
Prevost in 1977, the same year he entered the Augustinian order
Prevost spent a decade heading the Augustinian seminary in Trujillo, Peru, teaching canon law as well as Moral theology and Patristics in the diocesan seminary San Carlos y Marcello, serving as prefect of studies, acting as a judge in the regional ecclesiastical court, and working in the parish ministry on the city's outskirts. From 1992 to 1999, he was also parochial administrator of Our Lady of Montserrat, Trujillo. He proved successful in the Augustinians' efforts to recruit Peruvians for the priesthood and leadership positions in the order. He organized support for Venezuelan refugees to Peru despite discrimination against the Venezuelans.
Cathedral Basilica of Saint Mary, Trujillo. As a young missionary, Prevost served in various roles in the Archdiocese of Trujillo.
In 1998, Prevost was elected Prior Provincial of the Order of St. Augustine's Province of Our Mother of Good Counsel based in Chicago, assuming the role on March 8, 1999. In 2000, he permitted James Ray, a priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago, to reside at St. John Stone Friary in Chicago under supervision. Ray had been suspended from public ministry since 1991 due to credible accusations that he had sexually abused minors. Prevost's allowing of the placement of Ray in a friary at the request of the Archdiocese of Chicago and close to St. Thomas School was the subject of reporting in 2021, prior to his appointment to the Vatican. According to the Augustinians, "the location was selected because of the supervision the priest would receive." After American bishops implemented stricter rules in the Dallas Charter, Ray was moved to other housing in 2002.
Elected prior general of the Order of Saint Augustine in 2001, Prevost served two consecutive, six-year terms until 2013. During his tenure as global head of the Augustinian order, Prevost lived and worked in Rome but frequently traveled around the world. It was in that capacity that in 2004, he visited Buenos Aires and met Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio, the future Pope Francis, for the first time. Their early encounters are reported to have not gone well. Prevost later explained that at the time, he thought he would never become a bishop after Bergoglio was elected Pope in 2013; he has declined to reveal what they initially disagreed upon. However, they were able to reconcile their differences before Prevost left Rome for Chicago in 2013.
From 2013 to 2014, Prevost served as director of formation at the Convent of St. Augustine in Chicago and as first councilor and provincial vicar of the province of Our Mother of Good Counsel.
In 2014, Archbishop James Green, Apostolic Nuncio to Peru, proposed to Pope Francis that Prevost might be an option for bishop of the Diocese of Chiclayo in northern Peru. On November 3, 2014, Pope Francis appointed Prevost as the apostolic administrator of Chiclayo and titular bishop of Sufar. Prevost was ordained on December 12, 2014, at St. Mary Cathedral by Archbishop Green. As required by a 1980 agreement between the Holy See and Peru, Prevost became a naturalized Peruvian citizen before being appointed diocesan bishop. After his naturalization, on September 26, 2015, he was named Bishop of Chiclayo.
At the time of his appointment, Chiclayo was described as a conservative diocese, having been staffed by Opus Dei priests for many decades. He entrusted several of them with senior leadership positions, worked closely with them, and lived with them in the same residence, calling them hardworking and obedient.
Prevost developed a close bond with the diocese of Chiclayo, directing a special message to them in his first message as pope, calling them "my beloved diocese", "faithful people", and "faithful church". He was seen as being "very faithful to the Church's social doctrine" and organized relief efforts during calamities. He helped victims of trafficking and sex workers learn new skills and trades and invited them to spiritual retreats while ensuring that volunteer workers had adequate training. He established a diocesan Commission on Integral Ecology and appointed a woman to lead it.
Prevost as Bishop of Chiclayo in 2018, commenting on extreme poverty in the region (in Spanish)
On July 13, 2019, Prevost was appointed a member of the Congregation for the Clergy, and on April 15, 2020, he became apostolic administrator of Callao. On November 21, 2020, he joined the Congregation for Bishops. Within the Episcopal Conference of Peru, he served on the permanent council (2018–2020) and was elected president of its Commission for Education and Culture in 2019. His presence in the permanent council of the episcopal conference was seen by Cardinal Joseph Tobin as "extraordinary for someone who was not born in Peru." Prevost had a private audience with Pope Francis on March 1, 2021, sparking speculation about a new role in Chicago or Rome.
Prevost has been accused of covering up sexual abuse during his time in Chiclayo. In 2022, alleged victims of abuse in 2007 by priests Ricardo Yesquén Paiva and Eleuterio Vásquez Gonzáles said the Diocese of Chiclayo failed to investigate their cases. The Diocese of Chiclayo stated that Prevost followed proper procedures, met with Ana María Quispe and her sisters in April 2022 to personally attend the victims, encouraged them to initiate a civil action, and initiated a canonical investigation, the results of which he sent to the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith. The sisters stated in 2024 that no full penal canonical investigation had occurred, and an investigation by América Televisión concluded that the church's investigation had not been thorough. In response, the diocese of Chiclayo stated that the allegations of the TV program were false, calling on it to correct its inaccuracies. The diocese said the accused priest "never admitted" to the accusations, that Prevost prohibited him from exercising the priestly ministry, and the priest transferred residence to his family's home. Prevost submitted the dossier to the Vatican, which gave a pro nunc, or temporary, decision of dismissal. The diocese later reopened the case and sent it to the Vatican anew, and thus it remains "open up to now."
Speaking to Peruvian newspaper La República while Bishop of Chiclayo, Prevost said: "If you are a victim of sexual abuse by a priest, report it. We reject cover-ups and secrecy; that causes a lot of harm. We have to help people who have suffered due to wrongdoing." Journalist Pedro Salinas[es], who investigated and exposed crimes committed by members of the now-defunct Sodalitium Christianae Vitae—including sexual, physical, and psychological abuse—has argued that Prevost always expressed his support for the victims and was one of the most reliable clerical authorities in Peru, leading Pope Francis to select him as prefect of bishops. Salinas has written that some of the Peruvian clerics linked to the Sodalitium sought to attack and defame Prevost in retaliation for his role in the Sodalitium's dissolution by Pope Francis due to its sexual abuse scandals, as well as Prevost's nearness to Francis's political theology.
Dicastery for Bishops and cardinalate (2023–2025)
Prevost during the consistory where he was created a cardinal, September 30, 2023.
Cardinal Prevost (first from right) during the procession with the body of Pope Francis, April 23, 2025.
By the 2020s, Pope Francis had become close to Prevost and advanced his career. On January 30, 2023, Francis appointed Prevost prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, with the title Archbishop-Bishop emeritus of Chiclayo. Prevost expressed preference to stay in Peru but accepted the appointment. He continued to be active in the Latin American and Caribbean Episcopal Council and participated in the council's meetings in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, in May 2023.
On September 30, 2023, Francis created Prevost a cardinal with the rank of cardinal deacon and assigned the deaconry of Santa Monica degli Agostiniani. As prefect, he played a critical role in evaluating and recommending episcopal candidates worldwide, thereby increasing his visibility within the church. These roles elevated his prominence as a papal candidate leading into the conclave. In October 2023, Francis appointed him as a member of seven additional dicasteries, and also named him to the Pontifical Commission for the Vatican City State.
Given his focus on mission, the writings of Prevost before his election were few. When he was global head of the Augustinians, the Rule and Constitutions of the Order of Saint Augustine was "issued by Authority of the Prior General, Robert F. Prevost" in 2002.
Aside from four journal articles published mostly in Augustinian journals, his main work of scholarship is his doctoral dissertation, The Office and Authority of the Local Prior in the Order of Saint Augustine, published by the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas in 1987. The work has been noted for its legal precision, Augustinian roots, postconciliar engagement and historical depth. In his dissertation, Prevost argues that authority is received from above, and therefore "the substance of the office of the superior is to obey; to obey the will of God and to put great effort into trying to know it, to formulate it and to specify it for his subjects." Leadership is based on Jesus Christ's threefold offices of teaching, sanctifying and governing, who sanctifies by prayer and builds community by being centered on the Mass, having "the care of the Brothers, 'especially in spiritual matters.'" Based on Augustine's concept, Prevost's thesis depicts authority as a service. He writes that service means "listening to what the Spirit is saying in His people...the Prior then is called to listen, so that together they can discern and implement what the Spirit inspires."
Pope LeoXIV waving from the loggia of St. Peter's Basilica in his first public appearance
In pre-conclave speculation, Prevost was considered a dark horse compared to more prominent papabili, although he was noted to be an ally of Pope Francis and a possible compromise candidate. His U.S. nationality had been regarded as a potential stumbling block to his candidacy, reflecting unease about enhancing the United States's geopolitical power. Prevost was well aware of this, explaining to a friend by text message: "I'm an American, I can't be elected". Supporters argued that he represented a "dignified middle of the road".
Prevost was elected pope on May 8, 2025, the second day of the conclave, on the fourth ballot. As a result, white smoke appeared from the Sistine Chapel at 18:07 CEST (UTC+2), informing the world that a new pope had been chosen. After accepting his election and adopting his papal name, Leo embraced his fellow cardinals upon exiting the Sistine Chapel. Cardinal Dominique Mamberti, the cardinal protodeacon, made the traditional Latin proclamation, Habemus papam, announcing Pope Leo XIV to the public for the first time from the central loggia of St. Peter's Basilica. According to Italian law enforcement, by the time of the habemus papam announcement, there were up to 150,000 people in the square.
Leo appeared wearing the traditional papal stole and mozzetta, vestments Pope Francis did not wear upon his greeting of the world following his election. Leo's pectoral cross was one he wore during the conclave, a gift from the Postulator General of the Augustinian Order when he became a cardinal, containing relics from Saint Augustine and his mother Saint Monica, among others. He then delivered his first address to Rome and the world in Italian, advocating peace and dialogue, expressing gratitude for the legacy of Pope Francis and quoting Augustine; he also greeted his former diocese of Chiclayo, Peru, in Spanish. After the speech, he imparted his first Urbi et Orbi blessing in Latin.
Leo is the first pope to have been born in the United States, and the first to hold U.S. or Peruvian citizenship, having become a dual citizen in 2015 while serving as a missionary and bishop of Chiclayo. He is also the first pope from the Order of Saint Augustine, and the second (after his immediate predecessor Francis) with a Latin American citizenship. He is the second to be a native English speaker, after the English-born Adrian IV (r.1154–1159), who would have spoken Middle English. Leo is also the first pope born after World War II and during the Cold War, and thus the first to be born in the Baby Boomer generation. While Leo is the first pope from the Order of Saint Augustine, six previous popes belonged to other orders which follow the Augustinian Rule, the last one prior to Leo being Pope Eugene IV (r. 1431–1447).
Pope Leo XIV's first popemobile ride during his inauguration
On May 9, the day after his election, Leo celebrated his first Mass as pope in the Sistine Chapel before the assembled College of Cardinals. During the Mass, he preached against the lack of faith in the world, and spoke of a church that would act as a "beacon that illuminates the dark nights of this world". Leo took up permanent residence in the papal apartments in the Apostolic Palace, where most modern popes had lived, rather than in the Domus Sanctae Marthae where Francis had lived.
His second apostolic journey was a one-day visit to Monaco at the invitation of Prince Albert II on January 17, 2026. The visit was part of the ongoing ties that bind the Grimaldi dynasty to the Holy See to strengthen the "long-standing and trusting" diplomatic relations between the two smallest states in the world.
Pope Leo XIV with King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia and other Spanish authorities in his arrival in Madrid, 6 June 2026.
Leo XIV during the closing Mass of his apostolic visit to Spain in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Next to the Pope is the image of Virgin of Candelaria, patron saint of the Canary Islands, 12 June 2026.
Pope Leo conducted his third apostolic journey and his first to Africa from April 13–23, 2026, starting with a historic two-day visit to Algeria that marked the first-ever papal trip to the nation. He met with President Abdelmadjid Tebboune and visited the Great Mosque of Algiers in Algiers for interreligious dialogue, then traveled to Annaba for what he described as "spiritual homecoming" to the land of St. Augustine, as he had visited Algeria before as the leader of the Augustinian Order in 2001 and 2013. While there, he hosted Mass at the Basilica of Saint Augustine and visited a care home for the elderly operated by the Little Sisters of the Poor, which had Algerian Muslims. Leo visited Cameroon for a three-day leg to navigate the complex political landscape, which was pre-empted by the first-ever temporary ceasefire of the Anglophone Crisis. Throughout his stay in Yaoundé, Bamenda, and Douala, he denounced corruption and called for peace in the Anglophone regions. He also visited an orphanage, a Catholic hospital, and the Catholic University of Central Africa, where he inaugurated a new campus named after him.
The Pope visited San Marino on August 22. The visit coincided with the centenary of diplomatic relations between the Holy See and the republic. It was also the third visit of a Pontiff to San Marino after those made by Saint John Paul II in 1982 and Benedict XVI in 2011.
In 2026, the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX), a traditionalist community not in full communion with Rome, announced plans to consecrate four new bishops without papal approval, after its superior general, Davide Pagliarani, was unable to obtain an audience with Leo. On May 13, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith warned that such consecrations would constitute a schismatic act and result in automatic excommunication, under canon law, for the consecrating bishops and those they consecrated. Cardinal Secretary of StatePietro Parolin also described the planned act as schismatic.
On June 29, Leo wrote directly to Pagliarani, appealing to the SSPX to abandon the plan and warning that dividing the church was a grave sin. He renewed the appeal in a further letter shortly before the consecrations, telling the SSPX that going ahead would deprive its own followers of "the licit, and in some cases, even valid reception of the sacraments".
All SSPX clergy are considered by the Holy See to be automatically excommunicated for schism. The same penalty extends to some portion of the SSPX's estimated 600,000 lay followers worldwide, though under the 1996 test it applies only to those who attend SSPX liturgies exclusively rather than occasionally. Canon law separately holds that Catholics may not licitly receive sacraments from ministers not in communion with Rome except in narrow cases of necessity. The SSPX has no canonical status within the Catholic Church. The resulting schism has become the Catholic Church's largest in at least 156 years, and has been described as the first major test of Leo's pontificate.
Views
Prevost chose the papal name Leo in honor of Pope Leo XIII's social teachings.
Cardinal Fernando Chomali of Chile said that Leo told him that the choice of papal name is based on his concern about the world's cultural shifts, a type of Copernican Revolution involving artificial intelligence and robotics. Chomali said: "He was inspired by Leo XIII, who amid the Industrial Revolution wrote Rerum novarum, launching an important dialogue between the church and the modern world." Leo XIV himself explained that "the church offers to everyone the treasury of her social teaching in response to another industrial revolution and to developments in the field of artificial intelligence that pose new challenges for the defense of human dignity, justice, and labor."
The National Catholic Reporter stated that Leo XIV was committed to ecumenism with other Christian denominations. At his inauguration, he referenced "sister Christian churches" and prayed for "a united church, a sign of unity and communion, which becomes a leaven for a reconciled world".
Leo has said religious freedom is "not optional but essential". During an audience with pontifical charity Aid to the Church in Need, before the launch of its Religious Freedom in the World Report in October 2025, Leo said that the right to religious freedom is "a cornerstone of any just society, for it safeguards the moral space in which conscience may be formed and exercised", adding that "religious freedom, therefore, is not merely a legal right or a privilege granted to us by governments; it is a foundational condition that makes authentic reconciliation possible."
During a weekly General Audience, Leo warned against fundamentalist readings of scripture, saying that to "renounce the study of the human words that God used risks leading to fundamentalist or spiritualist readings of Scripture, which betray its meaning."
Church policy
The new pope's first message emphasized the greeting of peace of the risen Jesus "who gave his life for God's flock", giving "an unarmed and disarming peace". Leo said he wanted to continue the kerygmatic blessing of Pope Francis: "God cares for you, God loves you all, and evil will not prevail! We are all in God's hands." The themes in his first message included Jesus as light needed by the world, becoming a missionary church through dialogue and openness, fidelity to the Gospel, walking together in synodality, working as a united church for peace and justice, closeness to the suffering, and praying to Mary. Twice he mentioned the need of not having fear, and emphasized God's help to "build bridges" for "all of us to be one people always in peace."
In his first address as pope to the cardinals, Leo declared his "complete commitment" to the ecclesial path traced by the Second Vatican Council. He praised Pope Francis's specification of this path through Evangelii Gaudium, the Joy of the Gospel, and highlighted six "evangelical principles", which he deems as perennial and revelatory of God's mercy: the primacy of Christ in proclamation; the missionary conversion of the entire Christian community; collegiality and synodality; attention to the sensus fidei, the capacity of the whole faithful to sense the faith, especially popular piety; loving care for the least and the rejected; and dialogue with the contemporary world. He continues to promote the work of the Second Vatican Council, devoting his weekly audience to rereadings of its documents and calling the council's teachings the "guiding star" of the church.
Leo XIV's episcopal motto is In illo Uno unum ("In the One, we are one"). On the official start of his pontificate, during the inaugural Mass, he requested that "our first great desire be for a united Church, a sign of unity and communion, which becomes a leaven for a reconciled world." Noting that there is "too much discord" in the world, he stressed that "the two dimensions of the mission" of the papacy is "love and unity", as its authority is "a question of loving as Jesus did."
Discussing the ordination of women in October 2023, Prevost stated that the "very significant and long tradition of the church" makes it impossible to consider women as priests and that "the apostolic tradition is something that has been spelled out very clearly." By contrast, he observed that the possibility of women deacons has been the subject of two Vatican commissions, demonstrating "openness to giving consideration" to that question. He also cautioned that the ordination of women as deacons "doesn't necessarily solve a problem" and could create new issues. Commenting on Pope Francis's 2023 appointment of three women as members of the Dicastery for Bishops, which he headed, he noted that their perspectives often align with other members but can introduce new valuable viewpoints.
As a cardinal, Prevost was a vocal proponent of synodality, one of Pope Francis's signature initiatives. Prevost suggested that the participation and co-responsibility of all the faithful could address the polarization in the church. In May 2023, Prevost said that episcopal leadership should prioritize faith over administration. The first priority is to "communicate the beauty of the faith, the beauty and joy of knowing Jesus." Also in May 2023, Prevost said he has faith that "the Holy Spirit is [...] pushing us towards a renewal." He stated that all the faithful are "called to the great responsibility of living what I call a new attitude," which is "to listen first of all to the Holy Spirit, to what He is asking of the Church."
The pope is expected to have an expanded role for the College of Cardinals in his papacy. In January 2026, he announced he would like to meet with them annually as a group of advisors.
Liturgical and ceremonial practice
Pope Leo XIV presiding over his inaugural papal Mass
During his time in Peru, Prevost was described as an "impeccable dresser" when it came to celebrating the Mass, wearing full vestments even when summer temperatures rose above 85°F (about 29°C) in Chiclayo. Prevost described himself as "very obedient" in liturgical matters, and urged that the liturgy be prepared "in the best way possible." He was described as a "say the black, do the red" type of priest by the pastor of the cathedral, referring to rubrical (printed in red) instructions in the Roman Missal. In August 2024, speaking to a Chicago-area parish, Prevost stated that "liturgy needs to be beautiful to help us, to strengthen us in our faith." In his first Mass in the Sistine Chapel as pope, he chose to use a papal ferula, or ceremonial staff, made for Benedict XVI and seldom used by Francis. The mozzetta worn after his election, and Benedict's ferula signaled to some a "return to normal" in the Holy See following the Francis papacy. However, during his Inauguration Mass in St. Peter's Square on May 18, 2025, Leo XIV used the ferula of Pope Paul VI which is most commonly associated with Pope John Paul II, and frequently used by Francis.
Leo received another pectoral cross upon his election, which he has been wearing instead of the one he wore during the conclave and his first appearance as pope. This one is silver, with relics of Leo the Great, Augustine, Thomas of Villanova, and Anselmo Polanco Fontecha. He also chose to restore the custom of the pope himself giving archbishops the pallium, which had been altered by Francis in 2015. In September 2025, it was announced that Leo had given permission for the Tridentine Mass to be said in St. Peter's Basilica the following month, the first time such permission had been granted since the promulgation of Traditionis custodes in 2021.
Social and political issues
Within the context of church politics and theology, Prevost has been seen as a moderate or centrist, neither liberal nor conservative. In April 2025, the Italian newspaper la Repubblica stated that Prevost was seen as a "cosmopolitan and shy figure" who was "appreciated by conservatives and progressives" within the church.
Leo has consistently advocated against armed conflict. Prior to his papacy, in Chiclayo, Prevost remained relatively politically neutral on Peruvian national issues. However, in the midst of the Peruvian protests in 2023, he stated: "The deaths during the protests cause me great sadness and pain [...] I asked to stay in Peru; I even made that request to the Holy Father. It wasn't the time to leave." He has also expressed support for the plight of Venezuelan refugees in Peru.
In his Pentecost homily soon after his election as pope, Leo criticized the "exclusionary mindset" displayed by various nationalist movements. The Holy Spirit "breaks down barriers and tears down the walls of indifference and hatred", he said. To Leo, areas advertised as "security zones" had the effect of "separating us from our neighbors" and spreading "prejudice". He proclaimed that the church needed to "open the borders between peoples and break down the barriers between class and race." The pope has also spoken with sympathy for migrants, hoping to visit the Canary Islands where many migrants enter Europe. Leo has also defended the right of nations to control immigration, stating "If someone is in the United States illegally, there are ways to address this. There are courts. There is a judicial system....I think every country has the right to determine who enters, how, and when." Additionally, Leo has stated that migrants are obligated to culturally assimilate in a new country, including by learning the official language, following local customs, and obeying the law.
The pope has repeatedly expressed criticism and concern about the treatment of migrants in the United States, particularly in facilities operated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). In September 2025, he reiterated past criticisms of the second Trump administration, remarking to a group of journalists that "someone who says 'I am against abortion but I am in agreement with the inhuman treatment of immigrants in the United States,' I don't know if that's pro-life." White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt denied Leo's claims of maltreatment. That October, Leo urged labor unions in his home city of Chicago to fight for immigrants' rights. In November, he called for a "deep reflection" about American immigration policy and asked that detainees' "spiritual rights" be upheld via access to clergy.
Prevost (right) at a peace rally with fellow Augustinians in Rome in 1983, protesting the installation of NATO missiles. It was organized by a coalition of pacifist groups, including organizations connected to the Italian Communist Party.
Leo's positions on abortion, euthanasia, and the death penalty are consistent with Catholic Church teachings. He has issued statements against abortion during his pontificate.
Leo has opposed euthanasia. He expressed caution against the euthanasia policy in Canada. He said that euthanasia, along with abortion, "discard the weakest", and disregard the value of life. He has also stated "We cannot build a just society if we discard the weakest—whether the child in the womb or the elderly in their frailty—for they are both gifts from God." In December 2025, Leo said he was "very disappointed" that his home state of Illinois approved a bill allowing for medically assisted suicide. He said he had spoken with GovernorJB Pritzker and urged him to not sign the bill into law.
Leo opposes the death penalty. In October 2025, he stated, "Someone who says, 'I'm against abortion but says I am in favor of the death penalty' is not really pro-life."
Leo has specifically called out violence against women. He has condemned femicide, calling it both painful and tragic and attributing it to "an unhealthy desire for domination."
LGBTQ+ issues
Prevost expressed reservations about "sympathy for beliefs and practices that contradict the gospel" and did not fully endorse or reject Fiducia supplicans, a declaration concerning blessings for people in a same-sex relationship. He stated that national bishops' conferences should "interpret and apply such directives in their local contexts, given cultural differences." On a flight to Rome after a visit to African countries, Pope Leo praised Francis' approach to the topic but opposed formalizing the blessings. Referring to "sexual matters", Leo said he believes there are "more important issues such as justice, equality, freedom of men and women, freedom of religion that would all take priority before that particular issue."
In 2012, Prevost criticized popular culture's sympathy for the "homosexual lifestyle" and same-sex families. In April 2016, he opposed the inclusion of "gender ideology" in Peruvian primary school curricula, stating, "There are men and women, and we must respect the dignity of each person, including the choices that adults may have. Telling a child that they have not yet reached a sufficient level of development to choose regarding sexual identity and orientation will create a lot of confusion". When asked in 2023 by Catholic News Service whether his views from 2012 had changed, Prevost said that "many things have changed" and emphasized the church should be more open and welcoming though he cautioned that church doctrine has not changed.
In May 2025, Leo said that it was up to governments to build peaceful societies "above all by investing in the family, founded upon the stable union between a man and a woman." In September 2025, Leo allegedly told the priest James J. Martin, an advocate for greater LGBTQ+ inclusion in the church, that he would continue Francis' legacy of welcoming LGBTQ+ people into the church, with Martin telling the Associated Press that their discussion "was very consoling and very encouraging and frankly a lot of fun." In February 2026, Leo stated, "The teaching of the Church will continue to remain as it is" in regards to same-sex marriage and transgender issues. Leo met representatives of Courage International, a Catholic ministry for LGBTQ Catholics on 6 February 2026. The group said on the occasion: "The opportunity to share with the Holy Father the works of the apostolate, to provide pastoral accompaniment to persons who experience same-sex attraction but who strive to live chaste lives or to accompany family members who have a loved one who identifies as LGBTQ, was a momentous occasion".
On the social media platform X, Prevost's former account reposted posts critical of US immigration policies under President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance. The pope has supported various gun control measures. In 2025, Leo denounced what he called a "pandemic of arms" after the Annunciation Catholic Church shooting. His X account which he used prior to his election as pope has since been deleted and he is currently using the official @Pontifex handle, inherited from Popes Benedict XVI and Francis.
In April 2026, amidst the 2026 Iran war, Leo said that Donald Trump's threats against Iranian civilization and infrastructure were "truly unacceptable" and encouraged people to contact political leaders and members of Congress to "tell them to work for peace and to reject war." Trump subsequently directly criticized him in a Truth Social post, writing that "Pope Leo is WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy". He also referred to the pope as "too liberal." Leo responded, stating that "I have no fear of the Trump administration," and cited being a peacekeeper as a message of the Gospel.
Climate change
With regards to climate change, the pope has advocated stronger church action, stating in a November 2024 seminar that "dominion over nature" should not be "tyrannical". He called for environmental protection, supporting the installation of solar panels and electric vehicles. His stance is consistent with his predecessor's environmental advocacy outlined in Laudato si'. Shortly after his election in 2025, he praised the document and said that it was "even more relevant today", ten years after it was written.
Artificial intelligence
Leo XIV is critical of emerging "artificial intelligence" technologies, calling them an "anthropological challenge". He has warned that the technology can "interfere with information ecosystems." He has stated that he believes a more profound risk is that, in mimicking human faces and voices, the technology encroaches "upon the deepest level of communication, that of human relationships." He has stated that using technology instead of humanity to create texts, music, and videos will reduce people into "passive consumers of unthought thoughts and anonymous products without ownership or love" and "[bury] the talents we have been given".
As Pope, he refused to give official sanction for an AI replica of himself intended to answer questions about the Catholic faith, saying, "If there's anybody who should not be represented by an avatar, I would say the pope is high on the list." He has said that artificial intelligence "will never be able to share faith" and that seeking "illusion on the internet, on TikTok" cannot replace an authentic spiritual connection. He asked the clergy of the Diocese of Rome to resist "the temptation to prepare homilies with artificial intelligence."
Leo's first encyclical, Magnifica humanitas, dealt with these matters in depth. In it, he said that "artificial intelligences do not undergo experiences, do not possess a body, do not feel joy or pain, do not mature through relationships...nor do they have a moral conscience...a form of statistical adaptation...does not imply inner growth."
As a teenager, Prevost enjoyed driving recreationally. Throughout his life, he has frequently preferred driving long distances for journeys where most people would prefer to fly, such as from Philadelphia to Chicago, Brisbane to Sydney, and Chiclayo to Lima. He also repaired cars himself as a bishop in Chiclayo.
The interior of St. Mary Cathedral in Chiclayo, where Pope Leo prayed daily as its bishop, in 2018
During his time as bishop of Chiclayo, aside from daily Mass celebrated at 8pm (he preferred to celebrate Mass in the evening when his mind was clearer), Prevost had periods of prayer at the beginning of the day and before dinner. He prayed lauds in the morning at the Cathedral and the rosary with his priest colleagues around noon.
During the Angelus prayer on October 11, 2026, Leo announced that he had a lung nodule that would be removed within the following week. Following the surgery on October 13, it was reported that the nodule showed signs of adenocarcinoma, the most common lung cancer. The surgery involved the removal of the lower lobe of his right lung.
Sovereign Military Order of Malta: : Bailiff Grand Cross of Honour and Devotion of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. Appointed on 11 February 2025 by its Grand Master Fra' John T. Dunlap.
: 2026 Liberty Medal. Awarded 17 March 2026 by the National Constitution Center, which honors "men and women of courage and conviction who strive to secure the blessings of liberty for people around the globe". Leo received the award on 3 July 2026, the eve of the United States semiquincentennial.
Per bend sinister azure and argent, in the first, a fleur-de-lis argent, in the second, a heart enflamed pierced by an arrow bendwise sinister, all gules, upon a book proper.
Motto
IN ILLO UNO UNUM (Latin for 'In the One, [we are] one')
Fleur-de-lis: Associated with the Virgin Mary, symbolizing purity and innocence.
Augustinian emblem: Emblem of the Order of Saint Augustine, in reference to Leo XIV being a member of the Augustinian Order. This charge displays a red heart pierced by an arrow and resting on a closed book.
↑While working in Peru and Latin America as bishop (2015–2023), Prevost customarily used the name "Robert Francis Prevost Martínez" in accordance with Spanish naming customs, as Martínez is his mother's family name.
↑Prevost's plans to take possession of Albano on May 12 were cancelled when the conclave to elect Francis' successor was scheduled.
↑Under canon 1364 §1, schism incurs automatic excommunication. For lay faithful, this applies only to those who "formally adhere" to the SSPX, per a 1996 test with two elements: an internal one, freely choosing loyalty to the Lefebvrist movement over obedience to the Pope, and an external one, shown by exclusively attending SSPX liturgies rather than those of the Catholic Church. Occasional attendance alone does not meet this standard. All SSPX clergy are considered to satisfy both elements automatically through their ministry within the movement.
↑Canon 844 permits Catholics to receive sacraments from non-Catholic ministers only in specific circumstances of danger of death or grave necessity, and conversely allows Catholic ministers to administer sacraments to certain non-Catholic Christians under defined conditions. It does not create a general exception for attendance at SSPX liturgies.
↑The positions of cardinals are difficult to pinpoint in political terms and different labels, more specific to the Church's context like sinodali (supporters of synodality), lealisti (loyalists, the supporters of the reigning pope), and tradizionalisti (traditionalists), are applied. Nonetheless, Prevost was generally seen as a "reformer of the Bergoglian area", not far from other more progressive names such as Pietro Parolin and Luis Antonio Tagle, and more moderate than others such as Robert Walter McElroy and Matteo Maria Zuppi.
References
↑"Pope Leo XIV's motto and coat of arms". Vatican News. May 10, 2025. Archived from the original on May 10, 2025. Retrieved May 12, 2025. Pope Leo XIV has also chosen a motto that reflects this Augustinian tradition: In Illo uno unum, which means "In the One, we are one". The phrase is taken from Augustine's Exposition on Psalm 127, where he explains that "although we Christians are many, in the one Christ we are one".
↑"¡Hasta pronto Monseñor Robert! - Universidad Católica Santo Toribio de Mogrovejo"[See you soon Monsignor Robert! - Saint Toribio de Mogrovejo Catholic University]. Universidad Católica Santo Toribio de Mogrovejo (in Spanish). April 4, 2023. Archived from the original on May 13, 2025. Retrieved May 29, 2025. Este 3 de abril, en el despacho del Obispado, autoridades de la universidad se reunieron para reconocer, agradecer y despedir a Monseñor Robert Francis Prevost Martínez, quien deja hoy la comunidad universitaria USAT para asumir nuevos encargos en el corazón de la Iglesia como Prefecto del Dicasterio para los Obispos del mundo.[On April 3, in the Bishop's office, university authorities gathered to recognize, thank and bid farewell to Monsignor Robert Francis Prevost Martínez, who today leaves the USAT university community to assume new responsibilities in the heart of the Church as Prefect of the Dicastery for the Bishops of the World.]
↑Morillo, Ángel (May 17, 2023). "Monseñor Robert Prevost a la 39.ª Asamblea General del Celam: "Escuchemos al Espíritu""[Monsignor Robert Prevost to the 39th General Assembly of Celam: "Let us listen to the Spirit".]. ADN Celam (in Spanish). Archived from the original on May 15, 2025. Retrieved May 29, 2025. Monseñor Robert Francis Prevost Martínez, prefecto del Dicasterio para los Obispos y presidente de la Pontificia Comisión para América Latina (PCAL), ha presidido la eucaristía de este miércoles, 17 de mayo, en el marco de la 39.ª Asamblea General Ordinaria del Consejo Episcopal Latinoamericano y Caribeño (Celam).[Monsignor Robert Francis Prevost Martínez, Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops and President of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America (PCAL), presided at the Eucharist on Wednesday, May 17, during the 39th Ordinary General Assembly of the Council of Latin American and Caribbean Bishops (Celam).]
↑"Otorgan títulos de "Doctor Honoris Causa" a tres líderes de la Iglesia Católica"[Three leaders of the Catholic Church receive honorary doctorate degrees]. Andina (in Spanish). Archived from the original on May 16, 2025. Retrieved May 29, 2025. En ceremonia solemne, la Universidad Católica Santo Toribio de Mogrovejo (USAT) invistió con el título de 'Doctor Honoris Causa' a tres líderes de la Iglesia Católica: Cardenal José Tolentino de Mendoça, Cardenal Robert Prevost Martínez y Monseñor Jesús Moliné Labarta.[In a solemn ceremony, the Universidad Católica Santo Toribio de Mogrovejo (USAT) conferred the title of 'Doctor Honoris Causa' to three leaders of the Catholic Church: Cardinal José Tolentino de Mendoça, Cardinal Robert Prevost Martínez and Monsignor Jesús Moliné Labarta.]
123Lyndon, John (2026). Augustinian, Chicago and Peru: Reflections on Pope Leo XIV (aka Robert Prevost, OSA). Adelaide, Australia: ATF Press. ISBN978-1-923668-78-2.
↑Rocca, Francis X. (May 8, 2025). "The Conclave Just Did the Unthinkable". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on May 18, 2025. Retrieved May 30, 2025. Until today, nearly every Vatican insider agreed on one thing: The United States would never produce a Pope, at least not while the country remains a superpower. A citizen of the world's dominant nation could not become the leader of the world's largest religious organization without dramatically upsetting the global balance of geopolitical and cultural power. Or so the thinking went.
↑"Decreto del Dicastero per la Dottrina della Fede (2 luglio 2026)"[Decree of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith]. www.vatican.va. Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith. July 2, 2026. Retrieved July 2, 2026. [§]2. As regards the lay faithful, those who formally adhere to the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X under the conditions established in the Explanatory Note of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts of 1996 (cf. ibid ., 7), still in force, which this Dicastery adopts, are to be considered schismatic and excommunicated.
↑"Canon 844". CanonLaw Ninja. Holy See. Retrieved July 3, 2026.
Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Belize, Canada, Grenada, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines: Charles III
Oceania
Australia, Cook Islands, New Zealand, Niue, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Tuvalu: Charles III
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