Pope Leo XIV, born Robert Francis Prevost, was elected as the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State on May 8, 2025. He was born on September 14, 1955, in Chicago, United States, and is of American nationality.

He began his religious vocation in Chicago as a member of the Order of St. Augustine. He served in Peru from 1985 to 1986 and again from 1988 to 1998 as a parish priest, regional superior, seminary professor, and diocesan administrator.

From 2001 to 2013, he was the Prior General of the Augustinian Order. He later served as Bishop of the Diocese of Chiclayo, Peru, from 2015 to 2023. In 2015, he was also granted Peruvian citizenship.

In 2023, Pope Francis appointed him as a Cardinal. That same year, he was named Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops and President of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America.

On May 8, 2025, the Cardinals in Conclave elected him as the 267th Pope of the Catholic Church. He chose the papal name Leo XIV.