The election of Robert Prevost as the new head of the Catholic Church, where he has decided to take the name Pope Leo XIV, is likely to herald a new era in which he undertakes the difficult balancing act of addressing the concerns of both conservative and liberal members of the clergy.
Under the papacy of his predecessor, Pope Francis, the Church acquired a reputation for espousing Left-wing causes while being more sympathetic to so-called “woke” issues, such as the role of women in the Church and addressing the challenge of climate change.
Having worked closely with Pope Francis, whose death on Easter Monday prompted the ancient process whereby Catholic cardinals elect a new pope, there is a general expectation that Pope Leo will continue some of the changes undertaken by his predecessor, particularly his lifelong commitment to championing the poor and dispossessed.
At the same time, he is also likely to take a more sympathetic approach to the concerns of the more conservative elements within the Church, who have become increasingly concerned about the Church’s more liberal interpretation of its religious outlook in its efforts to project a more modern image.
The new Pope’s desire to accommodate both factions within the Church was clearly visible from the moment he first stepped onto the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica in Rome to address the cheering crowds that had gathered to acclaim the new pontiff.
Return to conventional papal dress
After the head of the conclave of cardinals that had gathered in secret to choose the new pope made the traditional announcement, “Habemus Papam”—we have a pope—Leo emerged wearing traditional papal dress.
This was in stark contrast to Pope Francis’ first appearance in public after his appointment in 2013, when he appeared wearing simple white garments, highlighting his disdain for the pomp that is so often associated with the Catholic Church.
Pope Leo’s decision, therefore, to return to the more conventional papal dress sent a clear signal that, while he might be prepared to maintain some of the more liberal reforms undertaken by his predecessor, he is also committed to upholding some of the Church’s more long-standing traditions.
The appointment of the Church’s first American pope, who becomes the 267th occupant of the throne of St Peter, certainly appeared a popular choice with the tens of thousands of people chanting “Viva il Papa”—long live the Pope—as he made his first appearance.
In his first words as pope, Leo XIV spoke fondly of his predecessor Francis.
"We still hear in our ears the weak but always courageous voice of Pope Francis, who blessed us," he said.
"United and hand in hand with God, let us advance together," he told cheering crowds.
The new pontiff emerged on the central balcony of St Peter’s just over an hour after white smoke billowed from a chimney installed on the roof of the Sistine Chapel, the signal that 133 cardinal electors had chosen a new leader for the 1.4 billion-member Catholic Church.
Missionary in Peru
Robert Francis Prevost, 69, was born in Chicago in 1955 to parents of Spanish and Franco-Italian descent. He served as an altar boy before deciding to enter the Church and was finally ordained in 1982.
Although he is the first American to be elected pope, he is seen by many as representing the Latin American community, as he has spent much of his ministry working in Latin America as a missionary in Peru.
Indeed, the new pope has Peruvian nationality and is fondly remembered as a figure who worked with marginalised communities. He spent ten years as a local parish pastor and as a teacher at a seminary in Trujillo in north-western Peru.
In 2014, Francis appointed him Bishop of Chiclayo in Peru, before promoting him as prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops in Latin America, which has the important task of selecting and supervising bishops.
He held that position until 2023, when Francis brought him to Rome to be head of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Bishops, which selects many of the world’s bishops.
The new Pope was also president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, a job that kept him in regular contact with the Catholic hierarchy in a region of the world that is still home to the greatest number of Catholics.
Although he had a low profile in Rome, he was part of one of the most significant reforms undertaken by Francis—three women were added to the voting bloc that decided which bishop nominations to put forward to the pope.
