Cardinal Robert Prevost Elected Pope Leo XIV in Historic First for U.S.

Cardinal Robert Prevost Elected Pope Leo Xiv In Historic First For U.s. (IMG SOURCE: timesofisrael.com)

America Has a Pope Now

Yep, that just happened.

Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost — born in Chicago, fluent in Spanish, and a former bishop in Peru — is now Pope Leo XIV. The first American pope. Ever.

The College of Cardinals made the call on Wednesday, wrapping up their conclave faster than your average group chat plans brunch.

The 69-year-old Augustinian friar stepped onto the Vatican balcony in his crisp white robe, waved to the crowd in St. Peter’s Square, and made history.

Reuters confirmed the news, and let’s be honest — it still doesn’t feel real. An American pope? From Chicago? Somewhere, deep-dish pizza just became sacramental.

“This is a moment of pride,” said Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York, quoted by AP News. “He’s a man of the people, deeply pastoral.”

Prevost isn’t some Vatican insider lifer. He spent decades in Peru, working with marginalized communities and running things in Chiclayo before heading to Rome. He speaks English, Spanish, and Italian — a papal power trio.

Of course, no rise to power is without its shadows. According to The Pillar, questions have surfaced about how he handled (or didn’t handle) abuse investigations while serving in Peru. It’s a serious issue, and it’s not going away.

Still, his election is a defining moment. For the Church. For the U.S. And maybe even for that one uncle who always joked, “We’ll get a Pope from Chicago before the Cubs win again.”

Well, guess what.

We just did.