The new Pope Leo XIV. Photo: ANP
Pope Leon XIV: the first pope from the United States who does not speak English – and this is no accident
The Catholic Church has a new pope – 69-year-old Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, who was born in Chicago but served for years in Peru and the Vatican. On Thursday, the Conclave elected him to succeed Pope Francis, and he took the name Leon XIV.
Despite his American citizenship, Prevost did not speak a word of English after his election. His first addresses were in Italian and Spanish, the languages of his pastoral journey. “Symbolically, he made no mention of Chicago or the United States – and that was a deliberate decision,” Time writes.
The new figure in the white cassock has already aroused the admiration of US President Donald Trump, who wrote on Truth Social: “This is a great honour for our country! I look forward to meeting Pope Leon XIV”.
However, commentators, such as theology professor Richard Lennan, note: “His choice is a message against nationalism. This is a pope who does not represent one nation, but speaks the language of the world church.”
Prevost is a member of the Augustinian Order, known for its dedication to community, knowledge and service to the marginalised. He also holds Peruvian citizenship and has experience working in Latin American dioceses.
Analysts emphasise: The Church has deliberately chosen a spiritual leader who balances between continents and ideologies. In an era of “America First” slogans and growing isolation, the Catholic world has chosen a voice capable of speaking for the poor, the outcast and the forgotten.
