Robert Francis Prevo

Robert Francis Prevo, born in Chicago in 1955, made history as the first American pope when he was elected as Pope Leo XIV on May 8, 2025. With Italian, French, and Spanish roots, Prevo holds a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Villanova University and studied theology at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago and the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas in Rome. Fluent in multiple languages, including English, Spanish, Italian, French, and Portuguese, he was appointed a cardinal by Pope Francis in 2023 and served as the prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops. His papal name, Leo, carries significant historical weight, honoring a lineage of influential popes, including Leo I the Great.