The High Priest from across the sea: an American has become the new Pope

The Vatican's long-standing opposition to the idea of choosing a pope from among the natives of the United States, stemming from the ambiguity of the position of a native of a superpower at the head of the most powerful church organization in the world, has finally fallen. Robert Francis Prevost, a native of Chicago, has become the new head of the Roman Catholic Church. He comes from a deeply religious Catholic family and, as they say, is a protégé of the previous Pope Francis, who provided Prevost with a fantastic career. The details are in the Izvestia article.

Early calling

Robert Francis Prevost was born in Chicago on September 14, 1955. His parents, who came from Peru, were staunch Catholics, so he had been familiar with the Catholic Church since childhood. The future Pope's mother, Mildred Martinez, was a devout Catholic and was happy to welcome into her home all the Catholic priests and preachers she met in the church.

The boy's father, Louis Marius, who had, among other things, French and Italian roots, was himself an active preacher who tried to attract people to the bosom of the Catholic Church. Therefore, Robert Francis's path was predetermined almost from infancy: as a child, he served in the local church as an altar boy and attended a parish school, and when he grew up, he entered the minor seminary of the Order of St. Augustine, where he received secondary education, graduating in 1973.

As Dad himself later recalled, he decided for himself the question of who to become at preschool age. The only thing he thought about for a long time was whether he should become a diocesan priest or join one of the monastic religious orders. After much thought, the choice was made in favor of the order's ministry, and when entering the Augustinian seminary, Prevost knew in advance that after graduation he would join the order, which attracted him with the idea of service and unity of all participants. In addition, he was attracted by the teachings of the patron saint of the order, Augustine of Hippo, who emphasized the need for firmness in faith, as well as in bodily and spiritual purity.

Priest and jurist

After graduating from the Minor Seminary, Prevost received a bachelor's degree in Mathematics from Villanova University, after which he went to study canon law in Rome, at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas. There, in Rome, in 1982, he was ordained by Belgian Archbishop Jean Gedo, pro-president of the Vatican's Secretariat for Non-Christians, now named Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue.

After completing his studies in 1984, with a doctorate in canon law, he was sent to serve in Chulucanos in northern Peru, where the Catholic Church had long-standing close ties with the American Augustinians.

The meeting with the historical homeland was a success for both the young priest and his flock.: Prevost sincerely fell in love with the country from which his ancestors came, having traveled around it for several years and read a huge number of sermons to a wide variety of audiences.

He continued his priestly ministry for ten years, while actively involved in the education of future Catholic clergy: Prevost was at the head of the Augustinian Seminary in Trujillo and taught Catholic law at the diocesan seminary. He returned to the United States only in 1999, having received the post of provincial superior of the Augustinians of the Midwest. And already in 2001, Prevost became Prior General of the World Augustinian Order and held this post for two six-year terms. For less than two years, from 2013 to 2014, he was director of educational programs at St. Augustine's Monastery in Chicago, after which he went back to Peru.

An impressive career

In November 2014, the prior of the Augustinian Order received the official attention of the then Pope Francis for the first time. It was the latter who appointed him apostolic administrator of the diocese of Chiclayo in Peru and titular bishop of Sufara. A little over a month later, in December 2014, Robert Francis Prevost was ordained bishop and received the post of bishop of Chiclayo, an area that includes both the city of the same name, one of the largest and most developed in the country, as well as numerous slums and agricultural settlements. Once again, Prevost showed himself to be an inspired preacher, sincere in his priestly ministry to the entire flock without exception.

In 2019, he was appointed by Pope Francis to the Dicastery for the Clergy, a year later to the Dicastery for Bishops, and in March 2021, Pope Francis gave him a personal audience. After that, people close to the leadership of the Catholic Church began to talk about waiting for the appointment of the Provost to Rome.

Indeed, the appointment did not have to wait long. It is said that after receiving an offer from Pope Francis to assume the role of prefect in the episcopal dicastery, responsible for the selection of Catholic bishops around the world, the Provost, in full accordance with the Augustinian vow of obedience, said: "Whether you decide to appoint me or leave me where I am, I will be happy, but if If you ask me to take on a new role in the Church, I will agree." The answer seemed to please him: in early 2023, Prevost received the appointment he was looking for, and a few months later, Francis began talking about elevating him to the cardinalate. The Provost received this rank two years later: he was ordained by Francis on February 6, 2025.

The three–month journey from cardinal to Pope is an incredible career by the standards of the Catholic Church. Already, within hours of Leo XIV's election, conspiracy theorists around the world are building numerous conspiracy theories related to the new head of the Roman Catholic Church. However, the two calmest ones seem to be the most trustworthy.

First of all, during his entire priestly ministry, the Provost has never been involved in major scandals and has never been affiliated with tarnished clergy.

And secondly, let us recall that Francis became the first Pope from South America in the history of the church. Robert Francis Prevost, now Leo XIV, an American with Peruvian roots, was practically a countryman for him. Perhaps sympathy for fellow countrymen is a small weakness that even a Catholic priest can afford?