By Naa Dedei Aryee
Before becoming Pope Leo, Robert Francis Prevost was known as a quiet but powerful force within the Catholic Church , a bridge between North and South America, between tradition and reform, between the local parish and the global institution.
Born in Chicago in 1955, Prevost entered the priesthood through the Augustinian order, taking vows in 1981. His early years were shaped by missionary work in Peru, where he served for decades, becoming fluent in Spanish and deeply embedded in the social and spiritual needs of local communities. His time there earned him a reputation as a compassionate pastor and a skilled mediator.
In 2014, Pope Francis appointed him as bishop of Chiclayo, Peru, and later brought him to Rome as Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, one of the most influential roles in the Vatican. There, Prevost oversaw the global appointment of bishops, helping to shape the Church’s leadership across continents.
Taking the name Pope Leo, a title shared by some of the Church’s most formidable historical popes, including Leo the Great (440–461), Prevost signals both a reverence for tradition and a desire to lead with strength and moral clarity.
As the first American pope, his election also reflects a geopolitical shift in the Church’s center of gravity, acknowledging the vibrant and growing Catholic populations in the Western Hemisphere.
His bilingual fluency, pastoral empathy, and international experience are expected to serve him well as he steps into one of the most visible and challenging spiritual roles in the world.
