As newly elected Pope Leo XIV begins his papacy, the Mirror takes a look back at the first US-born pope’s all-American upbringing, and intriguing life filled with adventure and learning
The 2025 papal conclave has concluded, and a brand new pope has been elected sovereign of the Vatican City State. And, in many ways, he’s lived a very different sort of life from those who’ve come before.
Born Robert Francis Prevost, the newly selected head of the Roman Catholic Church will now forever go down in history as Pope Leo XIV, and the very first American pope. Naturally, people are now curious about the Chicago-born 69-year-old, whose own legacy has yet to be written.
The 267th pontiff to sit on the hallowed throne of St Peter, Pope Leo follows in the footsteps of his predecessor, Pope Francis, remembered for his more tolerant, liberal approach to Catholicism. Paying affectionate tribute to “courageous” Francis from the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica, Pope Leo told assembled worshippers: “We still hear in our ears the weak but always courageous voice of Pope Francis who blessed us. United and hand in hand with God, let us advance together.”
As Pope Leo moves forward to shape his own papacy, the Mirror takes a look at five surprising facts about the Chicagoan pontiff’s all-American upbringing.
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Playing priest
In an interview with CBS News Chicago, Pope Leo’s elder brother, John Prevost, reminisced about their shared childhood and how the future pontiff’s theological ambitions became apparent from a very early age. Retired Catholic school principal John recalled: “You know how some kids like to play war, and be soldiers, and some girls want to play dolls, and be housewives? He wanted to play priest, and so he took our mom’s ironing board, and put a tablecloth over it, and we had to go to mass.
“We went to mass, and he knew everything. He knew the prayers in Latin, he knew his prayers in English, and he did that all the time. He took it totally serious. It was not a joke, it was not a game. He was dead serious about it. Isn’t that interesting?”
Alongside their other brother, Louis, John and Leo both served as altar boys at St. Mary of the Assumption Church, but it was clear even then which of the brothers would pursue their faith all the way to the top. John remembered how, when Leo was still in kindergarten or first grade, one of the mothers from their neighbourhood predicted that the little boy would become the very first pope born in the US.
Looking ahead to the future, and proud big brother John has every faith that Leo will be an excellent pope, describing him as “a second Pope Francis”. John reflected: “I think the very fact that in his heart and in his very soul, he wanted to be a missionary. He didn’t want the bishop, he didn’t want the cardinal, but that’s what he’s asked to do.
“I think you’ll see a second Pope Francis. I think. And then he’ll take some things on himself. He’s young to be a pope, I think, and he’s active. So he will be here and there, and moving around, and I think he will also speak his mind.”
Baseball fan
Born and raised in the Chicago suburb of Dolton, it was inevitable that debate would turn to which of the Illinois city’s iconic baseball teams Pope Leo cheers for – the White Sox or the Cubs. Taking to social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, The Cubs initially claimed Leo as one of their own, declaring, “Hey, Chicago, He’s a Cubs fan!”
However, brother John has since set the record straight, confirming that Pope Leo is a lifelong White Sox fan. Revealing that they would regularly attend games together as youngsters, as a reward for their altar service duties, John shared: “They had it wrong. He’s Sox, and then the radio announced Cubs, and that’s not true.”
Maths whizz
An academic student, clever Leo was on the honour roll at St. Augustine Seminary High School, where he was even presented with a Letter of Commendation for his outstanding results. After completing his studies in 1973, Leo went on to attend Villanova University, a private Catholic research university in Villanova, Pennsylvania. It was here where, in 1977, the multi-talented young pope-to-be graduated with a degree in mathematics. He also studied Philosophy, as per Vatican News.
Excitement was naturally high at Villanova University, where church bells sounded across campus to mark Pope Leo’s appointment, as per WHYY. In a statement, Villanova University President Rev. Peter M. Donohue said: “As an Augustinian Catholic institution, we celebrate this significant day for our University community and the global Church. Villanova, built on the teachings of St. Augustine, has always been grounded in advancing a deeper understanding of the fundamental relationship between faith and reason, between spirituality and wisdom.
“With today’s election of His Holiness, Pope Leo XIV, I cannot help but reflect on what his Augustinian papacy will mean to our University community and our world. Known for his humility, gentle spirit, prudence and warmth, Pope Leo XIV’s leadership offers an opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to our educational mission.”
After graduating from Villanova, Pope Leo proceeded to earn his Master of Divinity from Chicago’s Catholic Theological Union in 1982, the same year of his ordination. In 1984, he received a licentiate degree in canon law from Pontifical College of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome, followed by a doctorate in 1987.
Dual citizenship
Although he is being hailed as the first American pope, Pope Leo spent a large portion of his career in Peru, first moving to the South American country in 1985 after joining a mission. For many years, Leo served as a parish pastor and also taught at a seminary in the coastal city of Trujillo, northwestern Peru. In 2014, Leo, who is a dual citizen of the US and Peru, was named Bishop of Chiclayo, a city to the north of Peru.
Photos from Leo’s time in Peru show him out horse riding, while it’s understood he enjoyed the local cuisine. At a press conference, Chiclayo’s current bishop, Edison Farfa,n divulged: “He loved goat, duck with rice and ceviche, those were his favorite dishes.”
Leo made his enduring love of Peru clear in his balcony address,stating: “Greetings… to all of you, and in particular, to my beloved diocese of Chiclayo in Peru, where a faithful people have accompanied their bishop, shared their faith,.”
Meanwhile, bells have rung out in the Peruvian capital of Lima, where many view Leo as one of their own.
Multi-lingual talents
Pope Leo was born to father Louis Prevost, a World War II veteran and school superintendent of French and Italian descent, and Mildred Martinez, a librarian of Spanish descent. The pontiff’s diverse lineage is reflected in his formidable linguistic abilities, and, according to The Washington Post, he is fluent in five languages—English, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, and French. He can also read Latin and German.
These skills have, of course, proved important in his work as a missionary, and, in his St Peter’s Square address, the new pope was able to address crowds in both Italian and Spanish as he spoke of the importance of building bridges.
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