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The native Chicagoan was selected as the 267th pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church. Northeastern observers say Prevost was a dark horse.
The election of Robert Francis Prevost as the first American pope signals potential continuity with his progressive predecessor, while at the same time offering an alternate view of U.S. faith and power abroad, Northeastern observers say.
“My hunch has been that, if they did choose an American, then that means the Vatican wants to project an alternative image of the United States to the world than the image projected by the current head of state,” says William Miles, a professor of political science who teaches courses on religion and politics.
Prevost debuted as the 267th pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church on Thursday after white smoke was seen billowing from the chimney above the Sistine Chapel. The cardinals came to their decision in just over 24 hours.
Born in Chicago, Pope Leo XIV is also a resident of Peru, where he has worked as a missionary for many years, according to Vatican News.
“I see him much more in terms of how much time he spent in Peru,” says Liz Bucar, a professor of religion at Northeastern. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he emphasized some of the bigger ideas in the Catholic Church that don’t get as much air time, such as preferential option for the poor, mercy and social responsibility.”
Bucar points to Prevost’s extensive work in the Global South as an indication that he might fall more in line with Pope Francis, who died last month.
“He has an understanding of the way power works in the world and affects marginalized people,” Bucar says. “He seems to me the sort of figure who will push back against certain expressions of politicized religion.”
Leo succeeds Francis, who held the papacy from March 13, 2013, to his death on April 21, 2025. Francis was viewed largely as a progressive force in the church, advocating for the inclusion of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Catholics, as well as migrants and the poor.
His ascension comes as the Catholic Church is simultaneously navigating what Bucar describes as a persistent “PR problem” — alienating younger generations with its exclusionary culture and contending with its ongoing sexual abuse scandal.
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Bucar’s current research focuses on a constituency referred to as “nones,” or individuals with no religious affiliation, which represents about 30% of the U.S. adults, according to Pew Research Center. She hopes that the sea change that began with Francis will continue under Leo — and potentially toward a recapturing of those who have drifted from organized religion altogether.
“A lot of ‘nones’ are progressive, and they’re really angry at religion right now because they are only seeing the loudest voices,” Bucar says. “They’re not really hearing the real diversity within the global Christian or Catholic Church. I think this pope could potentially appeal to some of those frustrated people.”
Leo is considered a centrist, with more progressive views on specific social issues. He was ordained in 1982 at age 27, receiving a doctorate in canon law at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome.
In terms of politics, Miles says he is somewhat optimistic that the Vatican was looking for — to invoke George H.W. Bush — a “kinder, gentler” face to offset the perception of Americans.
“I don’t think that the papal selection takes place in a political vacuum — nor in a global political vacuum,” Miles says. “And the image the United States is projecting is certainly not the one that Pope Francis was happy with. He made that very clear. I think the conclave wanted to reinforce posthumously that message from the late pope.”
Miles says Prevost was a dark horse.
His influence should not be seen, he says, strictly in spiritual terms.
“I think the distinction between the political and the spiritual has dissolved, and the Catholic Church is every bit a political institution because every institution by definition is political,” Miles says.
President Donald Trump, acknowledging Leo’s roots, took a celebratory tone on social media.
“Congratulations to Leo XIV, the first American Pope, on his election!” he wrote. “I’m sure millions of American Catholics and other Christians will pray for his successful work leading the Church. May God bless him!”