In brief
Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, born in Chicago, has made a significant history as the newly elected Pope Leo XIV. Here's a concise timeline of his life and clerical journey leading to this momentous occasion.
1955: Robert Francis Prevost is born in Chicago. 1977: He obtains a Bachelor of Science in mathematics from Villanova University and joins the Order of Saint Augustine in Saint Louis.1981: Prevost makes his solemn vows within the Order. 1982: He earns a Master in Divinity from the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago and is ordained a priest.1985: Father Prevost embarks on his first mission with the Augustinian order in Chulucanas, Peru.1987: He completes his doctoral degree at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome, later joining a mission in Trujillo, Peru in 1988. 1999: Prevost becomes the provincial prior of the Augustinian Province of Our Mother of Good Counsel in Chicago.2015: He is appointed as the bishop of Chiclayo, Peru.2023: Prevost is promoted to the role of archbishop by Pope Francis, managing the Vatican office responsible for the selection and oversight of bishops globally.2025: Cardinal Prevost is elected as the 267th pope of the Roman Catholic Church, adopting the name Leo XIV.Eve Sampson, a correspondent focused on international affairs, is a member of the current Times Fellowship cohort for emerging journalists.
