69-Year Old Robert Prevost, An American, Is Elected New Pope
Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, an American with deep ties to Peru, has been elected as the new Pope of Rome, taking on the name Leo XIV in a victory that has shocked adherents worldwide.
Born on September 14, 1955, in Chicago, Cardinal Prevost is a compelling figure in the Catholic Church, blending American roots with global experience. Earning a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from Villanova University in 1977, he followed that up with theological training at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, then learned canon law at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome. Prevost speaks five languages.
He was ordained a priest in 1982 and spent over a decade as a missionary in Peru (1985–1986, 1988–1998), serving as a parish pastor and seminary educator. In 2014, Pope Francis appointed him apostolic administrator of Chiclayo, Peru, and later its bishop, a role he held until 2023.
In 2023, Francis elevated Prevost to Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, a pivotal Vatican role overseeing the selection of bishops worldwide, and named him a cardinal. By February 2025, he was promoted to Cardinal-bishop, cementing his influence.
Notably, prominent pro-LGBTQ priest James Martin is delighted with the selection, indicating it’s almost certainly a poor one.
While not an openly out-and-out progressive, Prevost’s theological stance aligns closely with Pope Francis’ vision of a more inclusive, synodal, and squishy Church. He has supported reforms like allowing divorced and remarried Catholics to receive Communion and has advocated for women’s involvement in bishop selection processes, along with adopting several other of his predecessor’s priorities.
While he holds traditional views on issues like women’s ordination, critics have accused him of being opaque on LGBTQ issues and the blessing of same-sex couples.
Notably, he’s been accused of mishandling sexual abuse allegations, with complainants claiming he failed to investigate claims adequately and that his office shuffled around at least one priest who molested young boys for years. The diocese defended Prevost, asserting he complied with canonical procedures, but the lack of transparency was seen as a major strike against him to a church institution that has had to pay out over three billion dollars in the last decade to sex abuse victims.
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Habent Stupiditatem!
They elected an American in an attempt to get their USAID back for importing savage trash to America. God smite them. God destroy Rome. God destroy the Roman Catholic Church. God destroy the papacy. God destroy the Sedevacantists too. God rid America of all Roman Catholics. Amen.
Habent antichristum