White smoke rose Wednesday from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel. Minutes later, the world learned the name of the new successor of Peter: Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, an Augustinian missionary born in Chicago and with a long trajectory in Peru, became the first pope born in the United States... and also the first pontiff with Peruvian nationality.

The announcement was received with emotion in St. Peter's Square, where thousands of faithful gathered to witness the historic moment. Appearing on the central balcony of the Vatican Basilica, the new pontiff greeted in several languages and chose as his name Leo XIV.

Prevost, 69, has for years been a key figure within the Roman Curia. In 2023 he was appointed prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops - the body that advises the pope on the appointment of bishops worldwide - and also president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America. His pastoral profile, moderate tone and ability to build bridges between different sectors made him a favorite in the days leading up to the conclave.

A global pope

Although American by birth, Robert Prevost has spent much of his life outside his country. In 1985 he arrived as a missionary in Peru, where he worked in Andean communities and was later appointed bishop of Chiclayo, a diocese located in the north of the country. In 2015 he obtained Peruvian nationality, a gesture that reflected his deep bond with Latin America.

Trained in mathematics and with a doctorate in Canon Law, Prevost is a polyglot and has a solid background in the pastoral, legal and administrative fields. His experience at the head of the Order of St. Augustine at the world level also gave him an international vision of the Church.

A message of continuity

During Francis' pontificate, Prevost was considered one of his closest collaborators. He shared his vision of an open Church, close to the poor and sensitive to the peripheries. In recent declarations, Prevost expressed that "we cannot go backwards" in the process of transformation that the Church is undergoing: "The message is the same, but the world changes, and we must know how to communicate it".

The election of a pope with this profile could be interpreted as a vote in favor of continuity and the strengthening of the Latin face of the Church, especially at a time when Latin America represents about 40% of the world's Catholics.

A milestone for Latinos in the U.S.

The election of Robert Prevost also marks a historic moment for the Latino community in the United States. His figure, with one foot in Chicago and the other in Chiclayo, represents the crossroads that defines millions of the faithful: a bicultural, multilingual identity deeply committed to community roots.

For many Latinos in the U.S., the new pope embodies a more relatable and understandable spiritual leadership. Someone who has lived in the poor neighborhoods of Peru and also in the big cities of North America. He has faced the challenges of poverty, migration and abandonment, but also the modern dilemmas of faith in times of transformation.

The Catholic Church thus enters a new stage. A stage marked by a pope who knows the power, but also the peripheries. He has dialogued with the elites, but has never failed to listen to the humble. A pope who, from today, becomes a symbol of a Church that wants to remain universal... and profoundly human.

With information from AFP