RObert Prevo was elected as a descendant of Pope Francis on Thursday, May 8, ending with a two -day Pope conclave. Prevost from Chicago – who has chosen the name Pope Leo XIV – is the first American Pope. But his service in the Catholic Church goes beyond the US because Leo has both US and Peru's citizenship and has devoted many years to missionary work in South America.
Leo was appointed cardinal in the year September 2023, author Pope FrancisAnd there was also a prefect from bishops from January 2023 to the death of Pope Francis on April 21.
In an interview in the 2023 year, Leo spoke to the BBC appointing his prefect, during which he mentioned his American roots and how it could help him with the challenges facing the United States Catholic Church.
“It's no coincidence that Pope Francis chose me. I've been a missionary for my whole life and worked in Peru but I'm American and I think I have some knowledge [Catholic] Church in the United States, ”he said.
“The need to be able to advise, cooperate with Pope Francis, and look at the challenges facing the United States Church. I hope I can react with a healthy dialogue. And continue ways to be a church today and the age we live.”
What are the challenges in front of the United States Catholic Church?
As of March 2025, it is estimated that 53 million adult Catholics throughout the USTo. If the number of Catholics is permanent, demographic changes occur. According to the Pewi Research Center, the Spanish Catholics have fallen in the proportion of white Catholics, which are white, while Spanish Catholics have grown by 7%.
Despite forming a significant part of the national Catholic population, religion among the US Spaniards has fallen from 67% to 46% in 2010-2023To.
Notifications of historical sexual abuse is another main topic for the Catholic Church in the world, including congregations in the US. This is a question that still requires significant attention. Cases of abuse are still uncovered and some Campaign organizers say that Pope Francis did not do enough to deal with this problemDespite showing a more progressive approach than its predecessors. The responsibility for dealing with such things is now falling into Leo.
“The next Pope must establish the Zero Tolerance Act for sexual abuse, which immediately removes abuse clergy, and leaders who have covered the ministry's abuse,” Snap (Snap) abusers (Snap) have abused survivors' networks to the Pope.
Snap announced another statement after Pope Leo appointed, highlighting them “Serious concern about the control of his record abuse.”
Pope Leo's appointment during Trump's second term
Leo takes the highest position in the Vatican for his homeland undoubtedly an insecure time concerning external relations. This may be Leo's desire to help overcome the distributions between the US and other nations between tariff insecurity and various global conflicts.
It seems that the Pope has always kept an eye on political things in the US earlier this year, Leo seemed to criticize JD Vanc's interpretation of Catholic teaching In the post X.
Vance had used Christianity to protect the American deportation policy and Robert Prevost's account said this interpretation was wrong.
The same account was shared in 2015, which described Trump's views on immigration as “problematic”, criticizing the separation of his parents and children in detention centers in 2018.
Political division in the US Catholic Church in the Trump era
In the US Catholic Church, the department has raised President Trump among the bishops and their opinions.
Some American bishops have been loud in Trump's disagreement, especially his immigration policy and deportation practices.
On April 7 US Catholic Bishop Conference (USCB) announced In order for them to terminate the partnership with the government, which serves refugees and children, saying that the “heartbreaking” decision followed the stopping of the Trump administration to fund refugees.
USCB President Timothy Broglio said: “We just can't keep our job at the current level or in its current form.”
On April 17, Evelio Menjivar, Bishop of Washington Voted deep concern Trump administration for immigrants treatment. “Those disturbing measures that violate the fundamental human rights and dignity are not only accepted against the commitment of non -documented persons, gang members and violent crimes, but also against calm and productive migrants and refugees,” he said.
The American bishops also seem to be divided into LGBTQ+ problems. In November 2024 reported some bishops to their support 2024 Vatican Dignitas Infinita, which said ”Gender theory and gender modification procedures are contrary to human dignityTo. ”
These are the questions that Leo can solve the first Pope of America to persist to persist in the US bishops. The support of the new Pope Synodic may be a promising sign Solving these distributions – an approach designed to make the structure of the church more inclusive and participatory.
Leo said before The fact that this could be a method of healing the church polarized distributions.
Pope Leo Chicago origin and Peruvian service
Born and raised in Chicago, Pope Leo XIV moved to Peru in 1985 to serve on the Augustine mission in the Chulucanas region. He stayed there for 13 years, later returning to the US to become a province of Augustine, Chicago, where he continued his community.
But Leo returned to Peru again and took a heightened position when Pope Franciscus called him chipping in 2015.
Leo showed his image as a global Church leader, not just as an American, in his first address to the public as Pontiff, where he completely spoke in Italian and Spanish.
California Loyola Marymount University Professor Brett C. Hoover said to the time: “He [Pope Leo] I said, “I'm an American but I'm a different American. I'm not a nationalist; I'm a person who cares about the whole world.” ”
Despite serving in Peru and Vatican abroad, the new leader of the Catholic Church has retained strong ties with the Chicago Catholic Community, where much of his family, including him brotherStill lives. In 2024 Leo visited Local church “for the evening of contemplation”.
She also returns to Chicago regularly During his years of missionary in Peru, visiting the family and churches in his birthplace area.
