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The Chicago native, born Robert Francis Prevost, celebrated Mass at the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican on Friday, May 9. It was the 69-year-old's first service as head of the Catholic Church, leading about 1.4 billion followers worldwide.
Leo XIV is the church's 267th pope, the first born in the US, and the first North American pontiff. His predecessor, Pope Francis, was the first pope from the Americas, hailing from Argentina.
Briefly speaking in English during his homily, Leo XIV thanked the College of Cardinals for the honor of being selected to serve as pope.
"As we celebrate this morning, I invite you to recognize the marvels that the Lord has done, the blessings that the Lord continues to pour out upon all of us," the pope said. "Through the ministry of Peter, you have called me to carry that cross and to be blessed with that mission. I know I can rely on each and every one of you to walk with me as we continue as a church, as a community of friends of Jesus, as believers, to announce the Good News, to announce the gospel."
Pope Leo XIV was elected on the conclave's fourth ballot on Thursday, May 8. White smoke emerged from the Sistine Chapel's chimney at 6:06 p.m. Rome time, signaling that the cardinals had selected a new pope.
Choosing the name Leo is seen as a symbol of the new pope's commitment to the Catholic Church's social justice history, Reuters reported. Pope Leo XIII, who served from 1878 to 1903, was known as an advocate for workers' rights, labor unions, and fair working conditions.
Popes are known for selecting names based on historical and spiritual meanings.
"By picking the name Leo XIV, he shows he is committed to the social teaching of the church," Jesuit commentator Rev. Thomas Reese told Reuters.
Pope Leo XIV warned the cardinals that Christianity is declining in many parts of the world.
"Even today, there are many settings in which the Christian faith is considered absurd, meant for the weak and unintelligent," the pope said. "Settings where other securities are preferred, like technology, money, success, power, or pleasure."
The pope called on Catholic leaders to respond as the church faces global crises like the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Israel's occupation of Gaza that many call a "genocide," and newly escalating tensions between India and Pakistan.
"A lack of faith is often tragically accompanied by the loss of meaning in life, the neglect of mercy, appalling violations of human dignity, the crisis of the family and so many other wounds that afflict our society," Pope Leo XIV said.
Leo XIV's path to the papacy began from his birth in Chicago on Wednesday, Sept. 14, 1955. He has Creole ancestry from his mother's parents, who lived in New Orleans before moving to Chicago around 1910, CNN reported.
In 1977, Leo XIV earned his Bachelor's degree in mathematics at Villanova, where he also studied philosophy. He joined the Augustinian order, earned advanced degrees in theology, and was ordained a priest by 1982.
The pontiff's life in ministry started in Peru, serving in seminaries and impoverished communities as a missionary, according to Vatican News. He spent more than a decade in Trujillo, where he led parishes, trained clergy, taught theology, and provided legal counsel within the archdiocese.
In 1999, he was elected Provincial Prior of the Augustinians in Chicago. Two years later, he was chosen as the global leader of the Augustinians, the religious order based on Saint Augustine of Hippo's values such as community, charity, and unity.
In 2014, Pope Francis appointed the future Leo XIV as Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Chiclayo, Peru. He was later named bishop of Chiclayo's diocese, playing important roles in the Peruvian bishops' conference and several Vatican congregations.
Leo XIV was a close adviser to Pope Francis and returned to Rome in 2023 to become the prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, a very important department within the church that selects bishops worldwide. Pope Francis elevated him to cardinal in January 2024.
While Pope Francis was hospitalized a month before his death, Leo XIV led a rosary prayer for the Argentinian pontiff's health on Monday, March 3.
"Even the bishops of Peru called [Leo XIV] the saint, the saint of the north, and he had time for everyone," Rev. Alexander Lam, an Augustinian friar from Peru, told the Associated Press.
Pope Leo XIV is expected to give his first noon blessing at the Vatican on Sunday, May 11, before speaking with the media the following day.
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