Pope Leo XIV: The First American Pope
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Chart of the week: The amount of artificial food dye consumption from 1950 to 2010.
Self-deportations: Migrants living in the U.S. illegally can now receive travel assistance and a $1,000 stipend if they “self deport” themselves to their country of origin. The option was announced by the Department of Homeland Security this week. The self-deportations are facilitated through the CBP Home app. Further, the announcement said “Participation in CBP Home Self-Deportation may help preserve the option for an illegal alien to re-enter the United States legally in the future.”
More: The DHS said it currently costs more than $17,000 to arrest, detain, and deport an individual.
REAL ID requirements went into effect this week for domestic travelers. Passengers may still be able to fly if they forget a REAL ID but should expect increased security checks at a minimum. The transition to REAL IDs stems from a bill passed by Congress in 2005 following recommendations from the 9/11 Commission. It mandated that state-issued IDs (usually driver’s licenses) meet security standards to be valid for federal purposes (flying, accessing nuclear power plants, or military bases).
Epstein Files: Attorney General Pam Bondi responded to concerns that the long-awaited Epstein Files have been deleted, saying, “There are tens of thousands of videos of Epstein with children or child porn and there are hundreds of victims…and no one victim will ever get released. It’s just the volume and that’s what they’re going through right now. The FBI is diligently going through that.” It’s been over 70 days since the AG promised to release the files.
More: Virginia Giuffre, one of the most prominent victims of Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking ring, was found dead in her home in Australia on April 25.
1st trade deal: The U.S. and UK agreed to a trade deal on Thursday. While the 10% tariff announced on Trump’s branded “liberation day” will remain in place, tariffs on aluminum and steel will be reduced from 25% to 0%. In addition, for the first 100,000 cars imported into the U.S., there will be a 10% tariff; additional cars will face a 25% tariff (the current tariff on all cars from the UK is 27.5%). Although the fine print is not finalized, President Trump told reporters that, “In the coming weeks, we’ll have it all very conclusive.”
Dr. Casey Means is Trump’s new pick for the U.S. Surgeon General after his first pick withdrew her name the day before the nomination. Means, who has become a popular health figure among the MAHA movement, is an American physician, entrepreneur, and author. She earned her MD from Stanford Medical School but dropped out of the subsequent residency program after seeing “how broken and exploitative the healthcare system is,” her website reads. She decided to leave and “focus on how to keep people out of the operating room.” Means, who has appeared on shows like the Joe Rogan Experience and The Tucker Carlson Show, claims that most, if not all, chronic diseases and obesity come from an over-processed diet.
Washington law on priestly confession seal: The Archdiocese of Seattle released a statement saying that "Catholic clergy may not violate the seal of confession — or they will be excommunicated from the Church…all Catholics must know and be assured that their confessions remain sacred, secure, confidential and protected by the law of the Church." The statement comes after Democrat Gov. Bob Ferguson signed a law requiring "members of the clergy" to disclose information related to child sex abuse cases to government officials.
More: The Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division is launching an investigation for a potential violation of the first amendment and an attack on religious freedom.
Pakistan-India escalation: On Wednesday, India launched a series of attacks on “terrorist infrastructure” in Pakistan as well as the Pakistan-controlled areas of Kashmir. According to Pakistan sources, 31 people were killed. The retaliation attacks came one month after gunmen killed over 26 tourists in India. Pakistan authorities denied any involvement. On Thursday, Pakistan launched missiles at India’s military sites. The past weeks have been the largest escalation between the two countries in more than two decades.
More: India, predominantly Hindu, and Pakistan, predominantly Muslim, both administer parts of Kashmir but assert full ownership.
The pope’s first mass: This morning (May 9) Leo XIV celebrated Mass for the College of Cardinals in the Sistine Chapel. On Sunday (May 11), he will pray the Regina Caeli from St. Peter’s Basilica at 6 AM ET. On Monday (May 12), he will meet with journalists in the Vatican. You can follow the events on Vatican News.
Pope Leo XIV: The First American Pope
Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, 69, was elected the 267th pope of the Catholic Church on Thursday and chose the name Leo XIV. Born in Chicago, Prevost is the first ever pope from the United States and just the second from the Americas (Pope Francis was the first). He was elected on the 4th ballot of the conclave, roughly the same amount of time it took to elect the previous two popes.
Although born in the U.S., Leo XIV spent the majority of his life either in Peru serving as a missionary priest or in Rome working in leadership positions for the Augustinian Order and the Roman Curia (central administration of the Church). He has been referred to as “il meno americano tra gli americani” - the least American among the Americans [cardinals].
He was appointed as the prefect of the Dicastery of Bishops by Pope Francis in 2023 - one of the top positions in the Vatican that oversees most new bishop appointments and removals around the world.
Peace be with you all!
About an hour after white smoke emerged from the Sistine Chapel, Cardinal Prevost emerged on the balcony of St. Peter’s wearing the traditional red vestments that Pope Francis decided against and delivered his first words as pope: “Peace be with you all!”
Leo XIV stood confident and humble as the tens of thousands of people roared in celebration for several minutes. The address was given in Italian and a small portion in Spanish, with the pope electing to not speak in his native English.
He emphasized the love of God and need for unity in the Church and world:
“God loves you all. And evil will not prevail. We are all in the hands of God. Therefore, without fear, united, hand in hand with God and among ourselves, let us go forward. We are disciples of Christ. Christ precedes us. The world needs his light. Humanity needs him as the bridge to be reached by God and his love. Help us too, then, each other, to build bridges—with dialogue, with encounter—uniting all of us to be one people, always in peace.”
Choosing the name Leo
Prevost became the 14th pope to assume the name Leo. The name a pope chooses can be an indication of what they hope their papal identity and the identity of the Church will be under their leadership. For example, Pope Francis was the first pontiff to take the name Francis, reflecting his desire to model his papacy and the Church after the poverty and humility of St. Francis of Assisi.
In a possible signal of his affection for Pope Francis, Leo was the name of one of St. Francis of Assisi’s closest companions. Brother Leo was the confessor and secretary of St. Francis and a constant presence by his side until his death in 1226.
The most recent pope to take the name Leo was Pope Leo XIII (1878-1903). Leo XIII was best known for his encyclical, Rerum Novarum. Written in 1891, Rerum Novarum is considered the Church’s first comprehensive document on social doctrine. It came at a historic moment of political and economic change as industrialization swept across Europe. The encyclical affirmed the dignity of the worker, including their rights to just wages, fair treatment, and the ability to form unions. It criticized capitalism for its tendency toward greed, concentration of wealth, and unjust working conditions. It also criticized socialism for its rejection of private property and the de-emphasis of the dignity of each individual person.
Who is Pope Leo XIV? Some background and light-hearted anecdotes
Leo XIV has experience as a pastor, a missionary, and in leadership roles within the Church’s central administration, the Curia. He has been described as a discrete and humble man, with a love for being a pastor of the people but also a very effective administrator.
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois (Riverdale neighborhood in the south side of Chicago)
Education: Undergraduate degree in mathematics from Villanova University. Later, he studied at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago (Master of Divinity) and the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome (doctorate in canon law).
Languages: Fluent in English, Spanish, Italian, French and Portuguese, along with reading Latin and German.
Hobbies: Pope Leo XIV said in a previous interview that he picked up the sport of playing tennis in Peru and that he enjoys “reading, taking long walks, and travelling - seeing and enjoying new and diverse places. I enjoy relaxing with friends and meeting a broad range of different people.”
It has also been reported that he is fast to respond by text and email as he doesn’t like to keep people waiting for replies.
A brief timeline of significant milestones in his life:
1955: Born to Louis Marius Prevost (French and Italian descent) and Mildred Martínez (Spanish descent). His house was frequently visited by priests who loved his mother’s cooking. He served as an altar boy and attended the parish school.
1977: Joined the Augustinian Order (AO) of friars upon finishing undergraduate studies at the age of 22. AO is a religious order founded in 1244 that follows the rule of St. Augustine. The order strives to “live and promote the spirit of community as lived by the first Christian communities” (read their rule here).
1982: Ordained a priest in Rome at the age of 27.
1985 - 1999: Served in the Augustinian mission in Peru, including teaching, pastoral work, and seminarian formation.
2001 - 2013: He served two six-year terms as the prior general (first-in-command) of the AO worldwide. During this time he lived in Rome.
2014 - 2023: Returned to Peru and was ordained a bishop of the diocese of Chiclayo. Chiclayo, a capital city in northwest Peru, has a population of about 610,000 people.
2023 - 2025: Appointed by Pope Francis to lead the Dicastery for Bishops and was appointed a cardinal in 2024.
(more in-depth biography)
“Whether you decide to appoint me or to leave me where I am, I will be happy.” - Cardinal Robert Prevost
That was the reply of Cardinal Prevost in 2023 when Pope Francis told him that he was considering appointing him the leader of the Dicastery for Bishops, one of the most important roles in the global Church. It was a fitting response given less than two years later he was asked by the College of Cardinals to become the next pope and lead the world’s 1.4B Catholics.
Instead of reading analysis from mainstream sources about who Pope Leo XIV is, we found it more effective to learn about him through his own words. Below are a couple of his answers to interview questions in recent years.
Note: For the full interviews (Vatican News, Augustinian Order).
His reaction to being appointed as the head of the Dicastery for Bishops
“The fact that Pope Francis asked me to accept this mission came as a surprise to me. I had been part of the Dicastery for several years - since 2020 - and when he told me that he was "thinking about this possibility," I told the Holy Father: "You know that I am very happy in Peru. Whether you decide to appoint me or to leave me where I am, I will be happy; but if you ask me to take on a new role in the Church, I will accept." And this is because of my vow of obedience. I have always done what I have been asked to do, whether in the Order or in the Church. And that's when he told me: "Pray that I make a good decision." And well... The rest is already known... It is an honour to receive this mandate but, honestly, it is difficult for me to leave Chiclayo after so many years, more than 20 years in Peru, being happy doing what I was doing. So, now back in Rome, a city with which I am obviously very familiar. Every day I say to myself: "Lord, all this is in your hands. Give me the grace I need to bring this task to a successful conclusion. And as I have tried to do throughout my religious life, I said yes, go ahead with the great adventure of being a follower of Christ.”
On what it means to be a good bishop in the Catholic Church
“To be a good shepherd means to be able to walk side-by-side with the People of God and to live close to them, not to be isolated. Pope Francis has made this very clear on numerous occasions. He does not want bishops who live in palaces. He wants bishops who live in relationship with God, with their brother bishops, with priests and especially with the People of God in a way that reflects the compassion and love of Christ, creating community, learning to live what it means to be part of the Church in an integral way that necessitates a lot of listening and dialogue. We are almost on the eve of the opening of the next Synod on Synodality, which means recognising how important this role is within the Church. A bishop, therefore, has to have many skills. He has to know how to govern, to administer, to organise and to know how to deal with people. But if I had to point out one trait above all others, it is that he must proclaim Jesus Christ and live the faith so that the faithful see in his witness an incentive to them to want to be an ever more active part of the Church that Jesus Christ himself founded. In just a few words: to help people come to know Christ through the gift of faith.”
On the global diversity of the Church and how to find unity
“It is a real challenge, especially when polarisation has become the modus of operating in a society that, rather than seeking unity as a fundamental principle, goes instead from extreme to extreme. Ideologies have acquired greater power than the real experience of humanity, of faith, of the actual values we live by. Some misconstrue unity as uniformity: "You have to be the same as we are.” No. This cannot be. Nor can diversity be understood as a way of living without criteria or order. The latter lose sight of the fact that from the very creation of the world, the gift of nature, the gift of human life, the gift of so many different things that we actually live and celebrate, cannot be sustained by making up our own rules and only doing things our way. These are ideological positions. When an ideology becomes master of my life, then I can no longer dialogue or engage with another person because I have already decided how things will be. I am closed to the encounter and transformation cannot, as a result, take place. And that can happen anywhere in the world on any issue. This obviously makes it very challenging to be Church, to be community, to be brothers and sisters.”
On the abuse crisis and the Church’s response
“We are on a journey with regard to this as well. There are places where good work has already been done for years and the rules are being put into practice. At the same time, I believe that there is still much to learn. I am talking about the urgency and responsibility of accompanying victims…we cannot close our hearts, the door of the Church, to people who have suffered from abuse. The responsibility of the bishop is great, and I think we still have to make great efforts to respond to this situation that is causing so much pain in the Church. It will take time. We are trying to work together with the other dicasteries.”
“There are many differences between one culture and another on how one reacts in these situations. In some countries, the taboo of talking about the subject has already been broken somewhat, while there are other places where victims, or victims’ families, would never want to talk about the abuse they have suffered. In any case, silence is not an answer. Silence is not the solution. We must be transparent and honest, we must accompany and assist the victims, because otherwise their wounds will never heal. There is a great responsibility in this, for all of us.”
On what he likes to do during his free time
“I consider myself quite the amateur tennis player. Since leaving Peru I have had few occasions to practise so I am looking forward to getting back on the court [laughs]. Not that this new job has left me much free time for it so far. I also really enjoy reading, taking long walks, and travelling - seeing and enjoying new and diverse places. I enjoy relaxing with friends and meeting a broad range of different people. Different people can greatly enhance our lives. And, to tell the truth, as an Augustinian, having a rich community built on the ability to share with others what happens to us, to be open to others, has been one of the greatest gifts I have been given in this life. The gift of friendship brings us back to Jesus himself. To have the ability to develop authentic friendships in life is beautiful. Without a doubt, friendship is one of the most wonderful gifts that God has given us.”
On the use of social media from Catholic leaders
“Social media can be an important tool to communicate the Gospel message reaching millions of people. We must prepare ourselves to use social media well. I am afraid that sometimes this preparation has been lacking. At the same time, the world today, which is constantly changing, presents situations where we really have to think several times before speaking or before writing a message on Twitter, in order to answer or even just to ask questions in a public form, in full view of everyone. Sometimes there is a risk of fueling divisions and controversy. There is a great responsibility to use social networks, communication, correctly, because it is an opportunity, but it is also a risk. And it can do damage to the communion of the Church. That is why one must be very prudent in the use of these means.”
On the economic challenges of the Church
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