Who is Robert Prevost, the new Pope: from missionary in Peru to the throne of Saint Peter

The Vatican chose its new leader:  Robert Francis Prevost Martínez,  an  Augustinian with Hispanic roots. Born in Chicago in 1955, Prevost became  the first American pope  in the history of the Catholic Church, followingthe death of Francis.  His election marks a significant shift in pontifical tradition, opting for a profile with strong missionary experience in Latin America  and solid intellectual training in canon law.

Prevost served until then as prefect of  the Dicastery for Bishops and president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, positions he assumed in January 2023.

From Chicago to Rome: a life dedicated to the Gospel

Son of Louis Marius Prevost, of French and Italian descent, and Mildred Martínez, of Spanish origin, Robert was born on September 14, 1955. He had two brothers: Louis Martin and John Joseph. His religious path began at the Minor Seminary of the Augustinian Fathers, where he graduated in 1973.

He studied at Villanova University, where he graduated in Mathematical Sciences and Philosophy. He then obtained a master's degree in Divinity with a focus on intercultural mission at the Catholic Theological Union of Chicago, in 1982.

That same year he moved to Rome to complete his training in Canon Law at the Angelicum University. He obtained his licentiate in 1984 and, three years later, his doctorate "magna cum laude" with a thesis on the role of the local prior in the Order of Saint Augustine.

A polyglot, he mastered Spanish, Italian, French, and Portuguese, and could also read texts in Latin and German. In 2015 he acquired Peruvian nationality, thus recognizing his strong bond with that country.

Mission in Peru and global leadership in the Augustinian Order

He entered the Augustinian novitiate in 1977, professed his vows in 1978, and solemnly ratified them in 1981. He was ordained a priest in Rome in 1982 by Archbishop Jean Jadot.

Between 1985 and 1986 he worked in Chulucanas, Peru, as parochial vicar and chancellor. He returned to the United States to promote vocations and raise funds for the missions. In 1988 he returned to Peru as director of formation for Augustinian aspirants in Trujillo, a role he held for a decade.

During that period he also served as  community prior, master of professed, and judicial vicar of the archdiocese of Trujillo. He taught Canon Law, Patristics, and Moral Theology, and directed the Major Seminary as interim rector.  He founded two parishes in the region: Our Lady of Monserrat and today's Parish of Santa Rita de Cascia.

In 1998 he was elected provincial prior of his Augustinian province in Chicago and assumed the position in 1999. Two years later, the General Chapter of the Order elected him prior general, a position to which he was reelected in 2007. During that period, he strengthened ties with the Vatican and led the Augustinianum Institute.

After his term, he returned to the U.S., where he was provincial vicar and formator in Chicago. In 2023, Pope Francis appointed him head of the Dicastery for Bishops, one of the most influential bodies in the Church's governance structure.

His election as pope in 2025 represents the culmination of a path marked by humility, intellectual formation, and commitment to the most needy communities. The Catholic Church thus opened a new stage under the leadership of a pastor with a Latin American heart and a global vision.