Pope Leo XIV's Journey: Breaking Barriers in the Catholic Church

Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, now known as Pope Leo XIV, has achieved a remarkable milestone, marking a new chapter for the Catholic Church.

American-born Robert Francis Prevost was born in Chicago in 1955 and took a transformative journey that would lead him to be elected pope on May 8, 2025. This timeline showcases his impressive rise through the ranks of the Roman Catholic Church, defying what many believed were long odds.

In 1977, Prevost earned a Bachelor of Science in mathematics from Villanova University before embarking on a spiritual journey by joining the Order of Saint Augustine in Saint Louis. He made his solemn vows in 1981 and was ordained a priest a year later after completing a Master in Divinity at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago.

Prevost's commitment to service led him to the Augustinian mission in Chulucanas, Peru, in 1985. Two years later, he attained a doctoral degree from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome and began another mission in Trujillo, Peru in 1988.

His leadership abilities became evident when he was elected provincial prior of the Augustinian Province of Our Mother of Good Counsel in Chicago in 1999. In 2015, he further advanced his ecclesiastical career by being named bishop of Chiclayo, Peru. His dedication brought him to the Vatican in 2023, where he was elevated to archbishop by Pope Francis and appointed to oversee the Vatican office that selects and manages bishops globally.

On May 8, 2025, Cardinal Prevost ascended to the papacy as the 267th pope of the Roman Catholic Church, taking on the name Leo XIV. His election represents not only his individual journey but also a potential shift in the Church's approach and its leadership dynamics, especially regarding representation from different cultural backgrounds.

Eve Sampson is a reporter covering international news and a member of the 2024-25 Times Fellowship class, a program for journalists early in their careers.