rObert Prevost was elected as the successor to Pope Francis on Thursday, May 8, ending the two-day papal meeting. Prevost from Chicago (who chose Pope Leo Xiv) was the first American pope. But as Leo has our and Peruvian citizenship, his services at the Catholic Church extend beyond the United States and has devoted his life to missionary work in South America for many years.

Leo was appointed cardinal by Pope Francis in September 2023 and served as bishop in January 2023 until the death of Pope Francis on April 21.

In a 2023 Discovery interview, Leo talked to the BBC about his appointment as governor, during which he mentioned the roots of the United States and what it might help him to help solve the challenges facing the Catholic Church in the United States.

"It was not by chance that Pope Francis chose me. I was a missionary all my life, I worked in Peru, but I am an American, and I think I do have some insight into the American (Catholic) church."

"It is necessary to be able to work with Pope Francis and study the challenges facing the American church. I hope to be able to respond to them through healthy conversations. And continue to find ways to become a church in the age we live in today."

What challenges does the American Catholic Church face?

As of March 2025, an estimated 53 million adult Catholics in the United States, while the number of Catholics remains stable and population changes are happening. The share of white Catholics fell 10%, while Hispanic Catholics rose 7%, according to the Pew Research Center.

Despite a large share of the national Catholic population, American Hispanic religion fell from 67% to 46% between 2010 and 2023.

Reports of historic sexual abuse are another major issue for the Catholic Church worldwide, including parishes within the United States, which still requires a lot of attention. The abuse case continues to be discovered, and some campaigners say that despite showing a more progressive approach than his predecessor, Pope Francis’ approach has not solved the problem enough. The responsibility for solving such problems will now fall on Leo.

“The next pope must have a zero-tolerance sexual abuse law, which immediately eliminates the abuse of clergy and leaders who cover up departmental abuse.”

After appointing Pope Leo, Snap went on to issue another statement highlighting their “serious concerns about the records of managing abuse cases”.

Pope Leo appoints during Trump's second term

As far as diplomatic relations are concerned, Leo is arguably a time of instability in his homeland, at the highest point in the Vatican. Amid tariff uncertainty and various global conflicts, it may be the division between Leo hopes to help the bridges.

Earlier this year, the pope seemed to have been focusing on American political affairs, and Leo seemed to criticize JD Vance's interpretation of Catholic teachings in an article on X.

Vance used Christianity to defend U.S. policy on deportation, and Robert Prevost's account says that explanation is wrong.

The same claim also shared a 2015 article that described Trump's perception of immigration as "problematic", further criticizing his separation of parents and children in a detention center in 2018.

Political division of the American Catholic Church in the Trump era

Inside the Catholic Church in the United States, the division is among the bishops and its perception of President Trump.

Some American bishops have been speaking out about their differences over Trump, especially his immigration policies and deportation practices.

On April 7, the U.S. Catholic Bishops Conference (USCCB) announced that they would end a partnership with the government serving refugees and children, saying the Trump administration stopped refugee resettlement funds after it said.

"We simply cannot sustain this work in our current or current form," said USCCB president Timothy Broglio.

On April 17, Bishop Evelio Menjivar of Washington expressed deep concern about the Trump administration's treatment of immigrants. “These disturbing actions violate fundamental human rights and dignity, not only against undocumented people, gang members and those who commit violent crimes, but also against peace and peace, productive migrants and refugees,” he said.

The American Bishop also seems to have differences on the LGBTQ+ issue. In November 2024, some bishops announced their support for the 2024 Vatican Dignitas Infinita, which said “Gender theory and gender change procedures violate human dignity.”

These issues are that, as the first pope in the United States, Leo will likely have to resolve to stabilize the differences between American bishops. The new pope’s support for synchronization may be a promising sign of solving these divisions, an approach designed to make the church’s structure more inclusive and participatory.

Leo has previously said this may be a cure for the division that has been polarizing the church.

Pope Leo's Chicago Origins and Peru Service

Born and raised in Chicago, Pope Leo XIV moved to Peru in 1985, serving in the Augustinian mission in the Chulucanas region. He stayed there for 13 years and later returned to the United States to become the province of Chicago's Augustine, where he continued his community work.