The Augustinian From Chicago

In the frenzied days leading up to the papal conclave following Pope Francis's passing on April 21, speculation was rampant: would the next pope be from Africa, perhaps the first Black Pope in modern history? Or would Latin America once again lead the Church?

- Rajesh Abraham

Papal predictions are famously unreliable, and once again, the white smoke proved the pundits wrong.

Instead of an African or Asian cardinal, the Church chose a relatively unknown Augustinian from Chicago with deep missionary roots in Peru. When Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost stepped onto the loggia overlooking St. Peter's Square as Pope Leo XIV, he immediately set a different tone, speaking not in English, his native tongue, but in Spanish and Italian. This wasn't just a linguistic flourish. It was a statement. Fluent in English, Spanish, Italian, French, and Portuguese—and proficient in Latin and German—Leo XIV is among the most linguistically adept popes in Church history. Yet his decision to forgo English in his first appearance spoke volumes: a signal of solidarity with Latin America and a style rooted more in communion than communication.