Pope Leo XIV, who was born Robert Francis Prevost, was elected the 267th Supreme Pontiff. Born in the south of Chicago in 1955, he is the first North American pope. Despite this, his relationship with US politics is more complex than his biography might suggest.
“Viva il Papa!” the crowd of faithful gathered under the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica shouted even before the name of the new Sovereign was announced. This lively welcome was given to Robert Francis Prevost, who, aged 69, became the first North American to hold the highest office in the Catholic Church and the Vatican.
Pope Leo XIV: biographical details
Born in Chicago on 14 September 1955 to parents of Spanish and Franco-Italian descent, Robert Francis Prevost has strong ties to Latin America thanks to his Peruvian citizenship, acquired in 2015. He was ordained in 1982 and, three years later, moved to Peru, where he worked with marginalised communities. He served in a parish and as a professor at a seminary in Trujillo for 10 years.
He was at the head of the Augustinian Order, whose mission is to serve the poor, inspired by St Augustine of Hippo, and whose core value is to “live together in harmony, being of one mind and one heart on the way to God”.
In 2014, Pope Francis ordained him as a bishop in Peru. His episcopal motto, “In Illo Uno Unum”, is a phrase used by St. Augustine in his sermon Exposition on Psalm 127 to explain that, although Christians are many, they are one in Christ.
From 2018 to 2020, he served as second vice president of the Peruvian Episcopal Conference, as well as president of the Commission for Canon Law. He was a member of the Dicastery for the Clergy in 2019 and the Dicastery for Bishops in 2020, an important office overseeing the selection of bishops worldwide. He was then appointed apostolic administrator of the Peruvian Diocese of Callao in 2020.
In January 2023, he became Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops and President of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, being elevated to the rank of Archbishop. In the autumn of that year, he was ordained as a cardinal deacon and, in February 2025, he was elevated to the Order of Bishops and granted the title of the Suburbicarian Church of Albano.
A historical choice
Cardinal Robert Prevost’s election marks a first for the Vatican, which has avoided choosing a pope from the United States for decades, citing fears that the global influence of the American superpower could hinder the mission and neutrality of the papacy.
The reaction from Washington was not long in coming. “To have the Pope from America is a great honour,” said President Donald Trump from the Oval Office. The White House leader added that he had already spoken to the new pontiff on the phone and was looking forward to an official meeting “soon”.
In Rome, on the day of his election, Pope Leo XIV addressed the crowd gathered in St Peter’s Square, calling for reconciliation and continuing the diplomatic approach of his predecessor. “Peace be with all of you!” the pontiff said in his first speech. “It is the peace of the risen Christ. A peace that is unarmed and disarming, humble and persevering,” said Pope Leo, offering hope to the faithful while also delivering a political message to the world.
The Pope’s politics versus US politics
Although it is still too early to draw political conclusions, some of the new Pope’s previous statements offer insight into his potential responses to the most pressing issues on the international political and social scenes.
Pope Leo XIV’s vision intersects somewhat with that of the US administration, but the points of divergence are more numerous than those of convergence.
LGBTQ+
Regarding LGBTQ+ issues, the new Supreme Pontiff adopts a more nuanced position than Pope Francis did in 2023. He suggests that blessings for same-sex couples should be discussed at episcopal conferences and adapted to the cultural context of each country, particularly in places where homosexuality is still criminalised. Older comments made by Cardinal Prevost on social media were met with “alarm” by LGBTQ+ Catholics.
In contrast, the Trump administration has moved in the opposite direction of expanding LGBT rights since its first term, limiting federal recognition of transgender identity, banning transgender people from serving in the military and cutting funding for gender-affirming medical interventions.
Migration
Pope Leo XIV is known for his support of Venezuelan refugees in Peru. He reaffirms the fundamental right of migrants to dignity and appears set to continue the Vatican’s commitment to advocating diplomatically against restrictive migration policies, including those under discussion in Washington.
Prior to his election as pontiff, Cardinal Prevost repeatedly criticised certain positions taken by US President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance. At the same time, the most recent post on Cardinal Prevost’s X (formerly Twitter) account (verified account, although not yet confirmed by official Catholic sources) reproduces a scathing comment by an editorialist published last month about the meeting between President Trump and his El Salvadoran counterpart, Nayib Bukele. The comment concerns the use of a prison notorious for human rights violations as a detention centre for criminal gang members extradited from the US. The message quoted by Cardinal Prevost ended with the questions: “Don’t you see the suffering? Doesn’t your conscience bother you?”
Climate change
Unlike President Donald Trump, who withdrew the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement—an initiative aimed at halting global warming—Pope Leo supports the need to combat climate change. In a recent statement, he said that the Church must move “from words to action”, emphasising the “harmful” risks of uncontrolled technological development. The Supreme Pontiff advocates an environmentally friendly approach, thus aligning himself with the ecological priorities promoted by Pope Francis.
Covid-19 and racism
Alongside critical posts and reposts about the US administration’s anti-immigration policy, Cardinal Prevost’s X account contains messages that clash with the vision of the US presidential administration. For example, he posted messages in support of vaccination during the pandemic and in support of the Black community during the Black Lives Matter protests following the killing of George Floyd. In May 2020, the new Supreme Pontiff also took a stand against racism, stating in a post that “we need to hear more from leaders in the Church, to reject racism and seek justice”.
A look into the near future
Ordinary Americans of different faiths seem to have welcomed this “extremely online new pope unafraid to talk politics“, as he has been described by some analysts. Given his comments on social media, it is easy to see why he has been labelled as such. For example, in one comment he accused JD Vance of being wrong, saying: “JD Vance is wrong: Jesus doesn’t ask us to rank our love for others”. This was in response to the US Vice President’s statement on ordo amoris, a theological concept that Vance had interpreted to the benefit of current US politics.
Nevertheless, given his repeated criticism of the Washington administration, how likely is it that the new pontiff will redefine the relationship between the Vatican and the White House and become the leading voice in shaping Christian values in the American public sphere? On the one hand, there is common ground—the defence of life, religious freedom and an emphasis on synodality—that could serve as a possible link between the Holy See and the US government. On the other hand, deep divisions on migration, climate change and criminal justice policies, both within the Trump administration and the conservative wing of Catholicism, make it unlikely that the Pope will become the ultimate moral arbiter in the US. For now, the fragile balance between religious pluralism and civil liberties acts as a barrier to large-scale political-religious fusion.