| Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost Martínez, former Prior General of the Order of Saint Augustine, was elected Supreme Pontiff this Thursday and adopted the name of Leo XIV. |
Vatican City, May 8 (DPnet) – The 267th successor of the Apostle Peter was Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, Archbishop-Bishop Emeritus of Chicago, and Prior General of the Order of Saint Augustine from 2001 to 2013. He was born on September 14, 1955, in Chicago, Illinois. Between 1988 and 1998, he was sent to the Trujillo mission and performed exemplary work in the Vicariates of Chulucanas, Iquitos, and Apurímac. While details about his personality have not been widely disclosed, it is known that Prevost is recognized for his affable character, moderate approach, and dedication to pastoral service.
His career reflects a commitment to the formation of new priests and a sensitivity toward the communities he has served. He is expected to promote a synodal Church and, while committed to continuing the work of Francis, maintains a balanced doctrinal stance, avoiding extremes, seeking consensus among different currents within the Church, and maintaining a strong pastoral orientation and sensitivity to the social realities of Latin America.
In November 2014, Pope Francis appointed him Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Chiclayo, Peru, elevating him to the dignity of bishop and assigning him the titular diocese of Sufar. In March 2018, he became Second Vice President of the Peruvian Episcopal Conference. Pope Francis appointed him a member of the Congregation for the Clergy in 2019 and a member of the Congregation for Bishops in 2020.
On April 15, 2020, Pope Francis appointed him Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Callao, and on January 30, 2023, he appointed him Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops and President of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America. He was proclaimed Cardinal by Pope Francis in the Consistory of September 30, 2023, of the Diaconate of Saint Monica.
Prevost made history today by becoming the first pontiff from the United States and the second from the Americas. While the Church debated whether to continue Francis's agenda or return to a conservative doctrinal path, supporters of this Augustinian cardinal presented him as a balanced alternative, capable of navigating the liberal and conservative wings that have generated considerable unrest and tension within the Catholic Church.
On one occasion last year, he declared that: "The bishop should not be a princeling sitting in his kingdom. He is authentically called to be humble, to be close to the people he serves, to walk with them, to suffer with them." Some emphasize that Prevost's figure emerged by combining the best of two worlds: the organizational efficiency and pragmatism of the United States —where he was born— and the pastoral sensitivity of Latin America, where he gained experience.