Vatican City - Pope Francis brought Robert Prevost to the Vatican in 2023, the head of the office that reviews bishop nominations, one of the most important tasks in the Catholic church. On Thursday, he became the first Pope Leo from the United States.

Given the geopolitical power that the United States already possesses in the secular realm, Prevost, 69, must overcome the taboos against the American pope.

Chicago natives are also Peruvian citizens and have lived in Peru for many years, first as missionaries and then as archbishops.

He evoked his extensive experience in the Pope's first public remarks, speaking in Italian, and then turning to Spanish - when he spoke to the crowds in St. Peter's Square, he spoke not in English.

He highlighted in other meetings where few cardinals were present.

Prevost was a two-time election of former general or top leader of the Augustinians in the 13th century religious order founded by St. Augustine. Francis apparently followed him for years, returning him from the Augustinian leadership in 2014 to Peru as administrator and later archbishop of Chiclayo.

He remained in that position and was granted Peruvian citizenship in 2015 until Francis brought him to Rome in 2023 as president of the Latin American Religious Council. In this job, he would have had regular contact with the Catholic hierarchy of the world's most important Catholics.

Prefoster has maintained a low public image since he arrived in Rome, but those whom he is well-known to know.

It is worth noting that he presided over one of the most revolutionary reforms Francis carried out when he added three women to the voting group who decided which bishop nominations were nominated to the Pope. In early 2025, Francis once again appointed Prevost as the Supreme Cardinal, showing his respect again.

Choosing a Pope in the United States may have a profound impact on the future of the American Catholic Church, which has a huge division between conservatives and progressives. Francis, with the help of the Bishop Review Office, began a 12-year project to control the traditionalist tendencies in the United States.

Prest's election "is a profound sign of a commitment to social problems. I think it would be exciting to see another American Catholicism in Rome," said Natalia Ipreto-Lee, a professor of religious studies at the University of Manhattan in New York City.

After Prevost was elected, the bells of the cathedral in Lima, the capital of Peru, were announced. People outside the church expressed their desire for the Pope's visit.

“For our Peruvians, it’s the pride of a pope who represents our country,” said primary school teacher Isabel Panez, who happened to be near the cathedral when the announcement was made. “We hope he visits us in Peru.”

Pastor Fidel Purisaca Vigil, director of communications at the Old Diocese of Prevost in Chiclayo, remembers the rise of the cardinal every day and has breakfast with his fellow countrymen after prayer.

“No matter how many problems he has encountered, he keeps humor and joy,” Purisaca said in an email.

Born in Chicago in 1955, Prevost joined the Order of St. Augustine in 1977. He attended Villanova University near Philadelphia, where he received his bachelor's degree in science in 1977 and his master's degree in the seminary from the Chicago Catholic Theology Union in 1982.

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Briceño reported from Lima, Peru.