Not only do we have a pope, but we have one of our very own.

The surprise election of Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost to the papacy touched off a furious meme war. A native of the Windy City, he was pictured at Wrigley Field until his brother clarified he was a White Sox fan. Since he lived in Peru for many years, he was shown eating ceviche and drinking Inka Cola. 

His mother’s maiden name was Mildred Martinez and at first it was reported she was of Spanish descent. But eager internet sleuths soon found her father in census records, and he appears to have been born in the Dominican Republic, and is described as “mulatto.” So not only is Leo XIV the first American pope, he’s also the first Afro-Caribbean one!

The future Supreme Pontiff grew up in Dolton on Chicago’s South Side and attended Villanova. Earning a doctorate in canon law at Rome, he joined the Augustinian order, known for its devotion to service. After his ordination in 1982, he was sent to Peru as a missionary and served as Bishop of Chiclayo, a working-class city in Peru’s northwest, from 2015 to 2023. His dedication to his flock was legendary, and he once waded into the water to rescue flood victims. He learned not only Spanish but Quechua, becoming a Peruvian citizen. Pope Francis brought him back to Rome to advise on selecting bishops, and soon made him a cardinal.

The timing of the hit movie Conclave made many of us imagine the likes of Stanley Tucci scheming in the Sistine Chapel. But the arcane process to select a new pope is centuries old and cloaked in ritual, ending only when white smoke comes out of the chimney and Habemus papam (“we have a pope” in Latin) is announced. 133 cardinals from 70 countries participated, and on May 8 picked 69-year-old Cardinal Prevost in only 4 ballots over only two days. He was on no one’s short list of contenders, and according to the conventional wisdom, it wouldn’t be an American.

The Hollywood narrative of conservative prelates plotting to reverse reforms was unlikely since 80% of the cardinals were appointed by Pope Francis himself, and presumably shared his vision of a diverse and progressive Church. The new pope certainly fits that mold, and has signalled he’ll continue his predecessor’s reforms with respect to “synodality.”  This concept refers to “dialogue with the contemporary world in its various components and realities.” 

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The first decision a newly elected pope makes is his name, and Prevost chose Leo XIV. The previous Leo was pope from 1878 to 1903, and profoundly shaped the Church’s teaching on social justice and support for the poor. 

Predicting a newly-elected pope’s priorities is like reading tea leaves. From past statements, he appears less open to LGBTQ+ rights than Francis, and more respectful of tradition. But tweets of his were found chiding JD Vance’s restrictive view of Catholicism, and his affinity with immigrants will surely lead to criticism of mass deportation. One charge often levelled at Francis was that the Argentine-born pope didn’t understand the U.S. This won’t work with Leo XIV from the South Side.

 

Friends describe him as hard working, tech savvy, and a “good listener.” His demeanor is reserved and bookish, with little of Francis’ charisma. Perhaps when he first emerged on the balcony after the conclave to greet the crowd of thousands in St. Peter’s Square, some might have wondered if he was up to the job. Would he be able to stand up to Trump, Putin and other world leaders? No one knew anything about him, and his first words as pope would send a message to the 1.4 billion Catholics around the world.

When the cheering died down, Pope Leo XIV smiled somewhat sheepishly and began to speak in a calm, unhurried voice. He spoke not in Latin or English but Italian and Spanish, and started by saying, “Peace be with you all.”  First , he thanked Pope Francis, and stressed the need to “build bridges, with dialogue, with encounter, uniting us all to be one people always in peace.” Then he lauded his fellow cardinals, and acknowledged himself as a “son of St. Augustine.” Switching to Spanish, he gave a shout out to his old diocese in Chiclayo. 

His final words were: “So I would like to pray with you. Let us pray together for this new mission, for the whole Church, for peace in the world and let us ask this special grace of Mary, our mother.”
In his very first address as pope, the White Sox fan and grandson of Dominican immigrants hit it out of the ballpark. There was humor, humility, and wisdom, but listeners sensed something more, a serene strength that reassured an anxious world. Habemus papam.