On May 8th, white smoke signals emerged from the Sistine Chapel. A new successor to the pope had been chosen after Jorge Mario Bergoglio, known as Pope Francis of Vatican City, passed away at 88 on April 21, 2025. Pope Francis’ legacy was being known as the “people’s pope,” and now his successor has big shoes to fill.
Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, 69, from Chicago, Illinois has chosen the pope name Leo XIV, and he is the first pope to be born in the United States. He worked as a priest in Peru for over a decade and became a naturalized citizen. He was very close to Pope Francis, who appointed him to manage and select bishops from around the world in 2023.
He shares some of the same beliefs as Pope Francis, as he has concerns for the environment and cares about issues regarding wealth inequality and migrants. He wants to install more solar panels and encourage electric vehicle use in the Vatican, and he showed immense care for Venezuelan refugees in Peru.
After police brutally murdered George Floyd in broad daylight in 2020, Leo called out the Church’s idleness against racial injustice. On Sunday, May 11th, Pope Leo XIV ordered for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
However, he also has conservative views such as disapproving appointing women as deacons, and he is not as tolerable towards the LGBTQ+ community as Pope Francis was. He rejected the idea of integrating gender studies into school curriculum in Peru, and he believes that there are only two genders that only God can assign: woman and man. He has also criticized the West for being too “woke” on stances such as gay marriage and abortions.
The pope’s role is to represent Catholic morals and beliefs, so it is important to understand how the new pope views various issues. Additionally, he overlooks churches to make sure they are kept in line, and he is the head of Vatican City.
One important thing to note about the new Pope Leo XIV is that he was involved in a sexual abuse controversy regarding clergy in Peru and a Catholic school in Chicago. In Peru, he was accused of playing a significant part in not properly investigating a scandal involving the molestation of three young girls by two priests. The scandal became public in 2022, and as recent as May 2025, he has been accused of paying the three victims hush money. In Chicago, the year 2000, a priest convicted of sexually abusing minors was able to stay in a church neighboring a Catholic elementary school for some time before being removed.
So why did the conclave choose Pope Leo XIV? Pope Leo XIV’s election surprised everyone. He was not on lists that included the most likely successors, and his stances were rather neutral compared to the other very clear right or left leaning cardinals. He was most likely the compromise choice to avoid multiple stalemates. However, he does lean more progressive.
He has a past of criticizing President Trump and Vice President Vance. He does not share the same stance on immigration as Trump, for he has publicly criticized the president’s policies on immigration and deportation. He also criticized Vance’s claims about Catholic beliefs such as choosing to prioritize family first and the rest of humanity last.
By stepping into the highest position, Pope Leo XIV has the chance to redefine the Catholic church, but it is still unclear which way he will step.