Six things to know about Pope Leo XIV

3. His family history reflects deep roots in faith and service

Prevost was born into a devout family in Chicago’s South Side. He is the son of Louis and Mildred Prevost and one of three brothers.

His mother was of Spanish descent and worked as a librarian. She came from a religious family with two sisters who became nuns.

His father, who had French and Spanish roots, was a navy veteran of World War 2 and a lifelong educator. Both parents are deceased.

4. He has a rich international ministry and dual citizenship

While born in the US, Pope Leo XIV holds dual citizenship with Peru.

He joined the Augustinian mission in Peru in 1985 and spent much of his early ministry there, serving as a seminary director and canon law professor. He also served in leadership roles that emphasised community outreach and education in poor and underserved areas.

After returning briefly to the US, he was called back to Peru in 2014 by Pope Francis who appointed him apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Chiclayo, eventually naming him bishop.

In 2015 he was granted Peruvian citizenship, highlighting his strong ties to Latin America, a region that now represents a significant share of the world’s catholics.

He is fluent in English and Spanish.

5. He’s a highly educated scholar

Pope Leo XIV has a rich academic and theological background. He earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Villanova University in 1977 followed by a master of divinity from the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago in 1982 and was ordained a priest the same year.

His academic journey continued in Rome, where he received licentiate and doctoral degrees in canon law from the Pontifical College of St Thomas Aquinas.