I like Pizzaballa

An American who left for Peru at a young age. Apparently a moderate.

Father Robert Prevost from Chicago !

An American Cardinal Is the new Pope

https://x.com/VaticanNews/status/1920529171664507289

I wouldn't have guessed in a million years that it would be an American. Wow.

Too early to chant USA! USA! USA!?

From one of the most Woke cities in the US... mmmkay

Wow...didn't see that one coming

I didn't even realize an American was one of the contenders, was convinced it would be an Italian again.

Busy outside jumping on cars and burning couches!

He's only 69 so theoretically he could serve a very long time, I was convinced they'd elect another elderly man who would only last a few years.

I wonder how "excommunicated" Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò views Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost (now Pope Leo XIV). Vigano has been a strong critic of Pope Francis and the Church starting going back to Vatican II. I suspect Leo XIV is cut from the same cloth as Francis which if true is disappointing.

Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, a former prefect of the influential Dicastery for Bishops, is a Chicago-born prelate with views close to Pope Francis who spent many years as a missionary in Peru before being elected head of the Augustinians for two consecutive terms.

Born on September 14, 1955, in Chicago, Illinois, Prevost entered the novitiate of the Order of Saint Augustine (OSA) in 1977 and made his solemn vows in 1981.

His educational background includes a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from Villanova University in 1977, a Master of Divinity from Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, and both a licentiate and doctorate in canon law from the Pontifical College of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome. His doctoral thesis was on “The role of the local prior in the Order of Saint Augustine.”

His career in the Church has been marked by significant roles and achievements. After his ordination as a priest in 1982, Prevost joined the Augustinian mission in Peru in 1985 and served as chancellor of the Territorial Prélature of Chulucanas from 1985 to 1986.

He spent the year 1987 to 1988 in the United States as pastor for vocations and director of missions for the Augustinian Province of Chicago before returning to Peru where he spent the next ten years heading the Augustinian seminary in Trujillo and teaching canon law in the diocesan seminary, where he was also prefect of studies. He also served in other capacities there, including as a parish pastor, diocesan official, director of formation, seminary teacher, and judicial vicar.

In 1999, he returned to Chicago and was elected provincial prior of the “Mother of Good Counsel” province in the archdiocese. Two and a half years later he was elected prior general of the Augustinian and served two terms until 2013.

In 2014, he returned to Peru when Pope Francis appointed him apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Chiclayo. He was elevated to Bishop of Chiclayo in 2015. While there, he also served as vice-president and member of the permanent council of the Peruvian Bishops’ Conference from 2018 to 2023.

During that time, Peru’s bishops reportedly played an important role in ensuring institutional stability during the successive political crises that led to the overthrows of successive presidents.

In 2020 and 2021, Prevost served as apostolic administrator of Callao, Peru.

Pope Francis appointed Prevost prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops in January 2023, a powerful position responsible for selecting bishops, a position he held until Pope Francis died on April 21, 2025. On September 30, 2023, Pope Francis elevated Prevost to the rank of Cardinal.

During his first months as prefect, then-Archbishop Prevost continued to remain characteristically discreet in the media, but was reportedly appreciated for his ability to listen and his mastery of issues. Aleteia reported that a French bishop who met him two months after he took office praised his “judicious questions” and his ability to synthesize, stressing that this first contact had left him with a “good impression.”

On key topics, Cardinal Prevost says little but some of his positions are known. He is reportedly very close to Francis’ vision regarding the environment, outreach to the poor and migrants, and meeting people where they are. He said last year “the bishop is not supposed to be a little prince sitting in his kingdom.”

He supported Pope Francis’ change in pastoral practice to allow divorced and civilly remarried Catholics to receive Holy Communion. Prevost appears somewhat less favorable to currying favor with the LGBTQ lobby than Francis, but he showed mild support for Fiducia Supplicans.1

Prevost has faced some controversy regarding clergy sexual abuse although he has been defended in both instances.2 The cardinal’s supporters stress his innocence and say the cases have been inaccurately and unfairly reported in the media.

The first case involves his handling of a sexual abuse case during his time as provincial of the Augustinian Province of Chicago (1999-2001), when a priest convicted of sexual abuse of minors was allowed to stay at an Augustinian priory near an elementary school and continue functions as a priest until later removed, and then laicized in 2012. However, Prevost is said to have never authorized that particular situation, the priest was not an Augustinian, and it took place before the Dallas Charter.3

More recently, questions were raised about Prevost’s knowledge and handling of abuse allegations in his former Diocese of Chiclayo. Two priests were accused of molesting three young girls, with the allegations surfacing in April 2022 during Prevost’s tenure as bishop. The case has been a source of frustration for local Catholics due to its slow progress and unclear resolution.

Some accusers have claimed Prevost failed to properly investigate the allegations and covered up for the accused priest, but the diocese has firmly denied this, stating that Prevost followed proper procedures. They stated that Prevost personally received and attended to the victims, and reportedly opened an initial canonical investigation. He also encouraged the victims to take the case to the civil authorities. In July 2022, Prevost sent the results of the investigation to the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) for review. His supporters stress that he has documents from the DDF and the Papal Nunciature in Peru which also indicate that he was not only attentive to the presumed victims, but that he did all required in Church law in following procedures set out for these cases.4

However, in May 2025 allegations emerged that the diocese paid $150,000 to the three girls to silence them. Described as “longtime public critics of Prevost,” the girls reportedly blame Prevost for covering up their sexual abuse by the priest.

The allegations, reported in InfoVaticana, described the Peruvian scandal, which was the subject of a national television report including an interview with the girls last fall, as the “stone in the shoe for Cardinal Prevost.”

Ahead of the 2025 Conclave, Cardinal Prevost was being promoted as a possible compromise candidate if leading candidates were unable to obtain enough votes. His lengthy missionary service in Peru allowed him to be seen as a more universal candidate than American which mitigated problems associated with choosing a pope from a superpower in his case.

However, there was speculation that he might be considered too young and too recently made a cardinal to be seriously considered papabile with any significant chance of being elected. Continued questions over his handling of sexual abuse have also cast a cloud over his prospects.

Cardinal Prevost is a member of seven Vatican dicasteries as well as the Commission for the Governance (Governatorato) of Vatican City State, indicating how much Pope Francis trusted the cardinal and valued his administrative abilities.


https://collegeofcardinalsrepo...ert-francis-prevost/

One of the pope's X posts...

https://x.com/drprevost/status...here-is-the-new-pope



Check out all the loving comments from people like Harry Sisson...

Friend of "workers" and "immigrants"


https://x.com/MarioIAguilar/st...here-is-the-new-pope

I am not a Catholic, but rather a lapsed Episcopalian. However, I recognize that the Catholic Church has a tremendous opportunity to be a force for good in an unstable world, and attract more people to a life in God.

I hope this man is holy, and leads the church back to faith in God. I also hope that he rallies western Catholics from their torpor and brings them back into the Church.

May Almighty God bless Leo XIV and the Church he leads, and guide them in the light of holiness.

He's from Chicago. He's probably a Blackhawks fan. I hate him already.

Schism in four...three...two...

One of the pope's X posts...

https://x.com/drprevost/status...here-is-the-new-pope



Check out all the loving comments from people like Harry Sisson...

https://x.com/TRHLofficial/status/1920537906189377877





Friend of "workers" and "immigrants"


https://x.com/MarioIAguilar/st...here-is-the-new-pope

quote:

Originally posted by ArtieS:
I am not a Catholic, but rather a lapsed Episcopalian. However, I recognize that the Catholic Church has a tremendous opportunity to be a force for good in an unstable world, and attract more people to a life in God.

I hope this man is holy, and leads the church back to faith in God. I also hope that he rallies western Catholics from their torpor and brings them back into the Church.

May Almighty God bless Leo XIV and the Church he leads, and guide them in the light of holiness.

Well said, Artie. Thank you.
I have high hopes. Can't be worse than Francis.

If Martin Luther was alive today he would probably disagree with you .

Wait- There's been a change.