New U.S.-born Pope has strong Latin American ties, spending most of his career in northern Peru

Although much as been made about newly named Pope Leo’s U.S. heritage, most his service was performed in Peru. Robert Prevost by birth, the new pope was known for 30 years as a champion of improved living conditions and social justice in poor communities close to the Ecuadorian border.

Pope Leo XVI

Born and raised in Chicago, Prevost was assigned to the Territorial Prelature of Chulucanas in northern Peru shortly after being ordained in the 1980s. There, he served as chancellor and immersed himself in community-based ministry, working alongside local clergy to address the spiritual and social needs of the region’s underserved populations.

After a brief return to the United States in 1987 to serve as director of vocations and missions for the Augustinian Province of Chicago, Prevost returned to Peru in 1988.

In Trujillo, he took on multiple roles: community prior, director of formation for Augustinian aspirants, and professor of canon law, patristics, and moral theology at the diocesan seminary. He also served as judicial vicar for the Archdiocese of Trujillo and was a member of the College of Consultors.

Leo, who is fluent in Italian and Spanish as well as English, was often outspoken in support of improving basic services for the poor as well as advocating for equal justice. He met frequently with local and national officials in an effort to “equalize” the distribution of funding for the poor regions of northern Peru.

In 2014, Pope Francis appointed Prevost as the apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Chiclayo, and he was consecrated as its bishop in 2015, as well as obtaining Peruvian citizenship.

In 2023, Francis chose Prevost for one of the most important jobs in the Catholic Church, the head of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America. The commission vets bishop nominations from around the world, bringing him to special prominence within the church and the conclave.

His time in Latin America increased his sympathy for the plight of immigrants from South America, especially for Venezuelan migrants. In March and April, he criticized U.S. President’s immigration policies, which he called “mean-spirited and draconian,” on his social media account.