A moment of history unfolded in St Peter’s Square as Cardinal Robert Prevost emerged onto the balcony, newly elected as the 268th pope. The 69-year-old from Chicago will now be known as Pope Leo XIV — the first American ever to lead the Roman Catholic Church.
Cheers erupted from the crowd below, where worshippers waved flags, many visibly emotional. “It’s Rob!” shouted one man, echoing a video message shared by the Pope’s brother back in the United States.
Born in Chicago and also a Peruvian citizen, Pope Leo’s path to the Vatican has been anything but ordinary. For years, he served in Peru as a missionary, gaining a reputation as a pastor deeply committed to the poor and excluded. Locals still remember him for building churches — not just brick and mortar, but spiritual homes in overlooked communities.
While Vatican officials remained tight-lipped about the new pontiff’s choice of name, it has stirred interest — and speculation.
A Name With Weight
Leo is one of the oldest papal names, worn by thirteen pontiffs before him. It carries echoes of both strength and service.
“Pope Leo I, or St Leo the Great, is remembered for standing firm in the face of Attila the Hun,” said Dr Anna Rowlands, a theologian at Durham University. “But he also shaped early doctrine and helped define the Church’s role in society.”
The last pope to use the name, Leo XIII, reigned from 1878 to 1903. A staunch advocate of workers’ rights, his encyclical Rerum Novarum remains a milestone in Catholic social teaching. It addressed the responsibilities of governments, employers, and the Church in a rapidly industrialising world.
“By choosing the name Leo, the new pope may be signalling a focus on unity, dialogue, and social concern,” said Fr Thomas Reese, a veteran Vatican observer. “But it’s still too early to draw firm conclusions.”
From Chicago to Lima to Rome
Pope Leo XIV’s background sets him apart from his recent predecessors. After joining the Augustinian order, he spent years serving in Trujillo, Peru, before eventually rising to become bishop and then archbishop. His bilingual roots and cross-cultural experience are seen as assets in a global Church.
His appointment follows the papacy of Pope Francis, the first Latin American pontiff, who made inclusion and environmental justice central themes of his leadership. Observers say the new pope is likely to build on that legacy.
“Continuity seems to be the message,” said Silvia Aloisi, Vatican correspondent for Reuters. “But with an American twist.”
What Comes Next?
The Catholic Church faces deep challenges: from internal divisions and declining numbers in the West to abuse scandals and the role of women. The global South, particularly Africa and parts of Asia, is now the Church’s demographic centre.
Young Catholics across Kenya, Nigeria, and the Philippines have voiced hopes that the new pope will listen to their generation.
“I just want a Church that speaks to our realities — jobs, justice, faith that feels alive,” said Mary Achieng, a university student in Nairobi.
Whether Pope Leo XIV can meet those expectations remains to be seen. For now, the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics — from Chicago to Chimbote — are watching, and waiting.
