Pope Leo XIV (Robert Francis Prevost) was elected as the head of the Catholic Church on May 8, 2025. Born in Chicago on September 14, 1955, he began his religious life in the Augustinian Order and spent many years serving in Peru. Before the papacy, he was Prior General of the Augustinians and Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops. His election is historic: he is the first pope born in the United States and the second from the Americas after Pope Francis. Leo XIV’s papacy focuses on the unity of the Church, social justice, and care for the environment.