Pope Leo XIV: The global Church's saving grace

By Jack Keen

In a room sequestered from the outside world, where centuries of tradition met men drawn from the farthest corners of the globe, the College of Cardinals made its choice. On May 8 2025, Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost was elected to the papacy as Pope Leo XIV. Aged 69, and former head of the Vatican’s Congregation for Bishops, he succeeds Pope Francis and marks a new era of Catholicism.

Pope Leo XIV’s election is unprecedented. In the history of the Catholic Church, his election was the first from the United States and the second from Latin America, following his predecessor, Pope Francis.

Robert Prevost was born in 1955 in Chicago, where he joined the Order of St Augustine. He went on to serve two decades in Peru, where he would eventually become a naturalised citizen, holding dual US-Peruvian nationality. Prevost quickly rose through the Catholic Church hierarchy, serving as Bishop of Chiclayo before being appointed Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops and elevated to the College of Cardinals.

Many view the papal election as a dramatic turning point amid the Church’s decline. Yet to the Cardinals, it signifies something far more profound. The Pope occupies the throne of St Peter, the first pontiff, acting as God’s spokesman through the Holy Spirit. Leaders from across the world look to the papacy for such holy power. As the film ‘The Two Popes’ once famously captured, in moments of crisis and doubt, leaders from every corner of the world come to the Pope not for politics, but for moral clarity, a presence of stillness, and a kind of spiritual grounding. To the cardinals, the papacy is more than an office, it is a spiritual and moral duty, one that shapes the world.

Pope Leo XIV was initially not considered a frontrunner for the role. Other more polarising candidates, such as Cardinal Matteo Zuppi of Bologna, Cardinal Peter Erdo of Hungary, and Cardinal Jean-Marc Aveline of Marseille, were frequently mentioned figures, all with different approaches to the papacy. Nevertheless, Robert Prevost’s name quietly gained traction amongst reform-minded cardinals. Whilst lacking a high-profile public presence, his moderate and global experience closely aligned with Pope Francis’ reforms, eventually meant he was elected over 4 rounds of conclave voting.

Across the world, the result has been met with an overwhelmingly positive reaction. Heads of state from Moscow to Mexico City expressed hopes for deeper dialogue and the building of mutual respect, as well as a continued legacy of social justice and global stewardship.

While the Pope's American citizenship has sparked questions about Vatican-US favoured relations, his long tenure abroad and international pastoral experience suggest he will act as a pontiff for the world, not just for Washington. In a rare moment of bipartisanship, former President Joe Biden has called it a “moment of pride” and current President Donald Trump hailed it as “a great honour for our country”. However, Trump quickly moved to conclude that he was not “America first.”

His selection demonstrates a deeply strategic choice by the Church to modernise and attract new believers. Leo XIV represents a focus on immigrants, the poor and climate policy. However, this is controversial for a politically divided Church. For progressive Catholics, Leo is a positive choice. However, conservative factions, particularly among bishops, are wary, as they anticipate tension over divisive doctrines such as abortion, liturgy and gender roles. Leo XIV’s own family represents this very split. His brother, Lou, is a public Trump supporter and has often criticised Pope Francis’s efforts at inclusivity. In contrast, John Prevost is aligned with Francis’s emphasis on compassion.

Leo’s international focus and papal style are already being shown. The Pope's inaugural message was one grounded in unity, humility, and building dialogue. Stepping onto the iconic balcony of St Peter’s Basilica, Pope Leo XIV greeted crowds with the message “Peace be with you”. During his speech, rather than English, he deliberately spoke Italian and, to reflect his time in Latin America, in Spanish. The languages represent Prevost’s desire to maintain a universal, not national, identity, born from his pastoral roots.

In the coming months, observers will watch closely his first appointments, interactions with state machinery, and attitude to papal privileges such as the papal summer residence (which Pope Francis refused to use). 

Robert Prevost embodies a global, reformist, and socially engaged vision of Catholicism, deliberately chosen by the College of Cardinals to build on Pope Francis’s legacy. His leadership promises a new course on how the Church addresses modernity and its challenges. His papacy could either bridge divisions within the Church or deepen them. Ultimately, Pope Leo XIV’s leadership will determine the direction of the Church for years to come.