The President of Kenya, William Ruto, and the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Bola Tinubu, have congratulated the new leader of the Catholic church, Pope Leo XIV.
In a post on his X handle, President Ruto wrote, “May your papacy be a shining light of love, hope, and compassion; may it uplift the poor, give voice to the voiceless, heal divisions, and steadfastly champion peace, justice, and the sanctity of human dignity around the world.”
“May your leadership inspire faith, unity, and moral renewal today and for generations to come. Congratulations!” the Keyan leader, William Ruto, further wrote in his post.
On his part, Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu offered his “warmest congratulations” to the new Pope via an official statement shared by the government’s office.
“President Tinubu believes the election of Pope Leo XIV opens a new chapter in the history of the Catholic Church and the values of love, humanity, and charity, particularly to the underprivileged that it has consistently projected,” the statement read.
The 69-year-old from Chicago is known as a leader with global experience. He spent much of his career as a missionary in South America and, most recently, led a powerful Vatican office for bishop appointments.
His election represents continuity with the papacy of the late Pope Francis, and he is expected to continue Francis’ reforms of the church as well as his focus on poverty and marginalized people.
Here’s what else you should know about the new American pontiff:
- He was the ‘least American’ of the American cardinals
Prevost was born in Chicago. But inside the Vatican, where he eventually lived and worked, he was considered the “least American” of the US cardinals.
He worked for a decade in Trujillo, Peru, and was later appointed bishop of Chiclayo, another Peruvian city, where he served from 2014 to 2023.
He speaks fluent Spanish and Italian – both of which he displayed during his first address to the public in St. Peter’s Square.
- He was well regarded by Pope Francis
The late Pope Francis “respected him and thought of him very highly,” according to CNN’s Vatican correspondent Christopher Lamb. “Clearly Pope Francis saw in him something – he saw him as a capable leader.”
Lamb met the new Pope Leo XIV when he was a cardinal and said he came across “a very thoughtful person, a very measured person.” Overall, he came across understated.
- He’s a member of the Augustinian order
Pope Leo is a member of the Augustinian religious order, which is spread across the world. He led the order for more than a decade as its prior general.
The new pontiff used his first remarks to say he is a son of St. Augustine, and he quoted the saint’s famous phrase: “For you, I am a bishop, with you, after all, I am a Christian.” That reflects the idea that all the people in the church hierarchy – from leaders to everyday members – walk together.
- He has strong leadership experience
Pope Francis appointed Prevost to be the prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, which is in charge of assessing bishop candidates and making recommendations for new appointments.
He also served as the president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America.
“From very young, he was appointed to leadership roles,” said Elise Allen, CNN’s Vatican analyst. “He’s seen as somebody who is calm and balanced, who is even-handed and who is very clear on what he thinks needs to be done … but he’s not overly forceful in trying to make that happen.”
- He has a missionary focus
“I still consider myself a missionary. My vocation, like that of every Christian, is to be a missionary, to proclaim the Gospel wherever one is,” Prevost said in an interview with Vatican News shortly after he moved into his leadership role in Rome.
He once said in an interview his time in Peru was the life experience that shaped him the most.
“He’s somebody that, even though he’s from the West, would be very attentive to the needs of a global church,” Allen said. “You’re talking about somebody who spent over half of his ecclesial career abroad as a missionary in Peru.”
- He’s also a Peruvian citizen
Leo is a dual citizen of the United States and Peru. The American-born pontiff obtained Peruvian citizenship in August 2015, according to Peru’s National Migration Registry.
Peruvian President Dina Boluarte called his election a “historic moment for Peru and the world.”
- His papal name reflects commitment to poor
The last pope to take the name Leo, Pope Leo XIII, was a pope on the side of the poor and who stood up for workers.
Leo XIII, who was pope from 1878 to 1903, had a strong emphasis on workers’ rights and Catholic social doctrine – so the choice of that name for the new pontiff makes a strong statement.
- He’s seen as a centrist unifier
He is in line with Francis on the direction of the church and on the process to foster a more inclusive global church, but he is expected to lead as his own man.
Leo is expected to lean more progressive on social issues like migration and poverty but fall more in line with moderates on moral issues of Catholic doctrine.
In order to a get a two-thirds majority in the College of Cardinals, he would have had to have had broad appeal, even among more moderate or conservative members.
- He studied math at Villanova
Prevost earned his bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Villanova University in Pennsylvania and went on receive his diploma in theology from the Catholic Theological Union of Chicago.
He was eventually sent to Rome to study canon law, and later in his career, he taught canon law in the seminary in Trujillo, Peru.
- He’s a fan of tennis
“I consider myself quite the amateur tennis player,” Prevost said in an interview with the Augustinian Order shortly after he became a cardinal. “Since leaving Peru I have had few occasions to practice, so I am looking forward to getting back on the court.”
He also said in his free time he liked reading, walking and travelling to “new and diverse places.”
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