Villanova Alumnus Robert Francis Prevost Elected Pope Leo XIV

Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, a Chicago native and alumnus of Villanova University, was elected Pope Leo XIV on Thursday, May 8 on the fourth ballot of conclave.

The first member of the Augustinian Order to reach the papacy, Prevost is the first pope from the United States — and the North American continent — to hold the highest office in the Roman Catholic Church, and the 267th pope in total.

Villanova president Father Peter M. Donohue congratulated Prevost in an official press release.

“As an Augustinian Catholic institution, we celebrate this significant day for our University community and the global Church. Villanova, built on the teachings of St. Augustine, has always been grounded in advancing a deeper understanding of the fundamental relationship between faith and reason—between spirituality and wisdom,” Donohue said.

“With today’s election of His Holiness, Pope Leo XIV, I cannot help but reflect on what his Augustinian papacy will mean to our University community and our world. Known for his humility, gentle spirit, prudence and warmth, Pope Leo XIV’s leadership offers an opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to our educational mission.”

Born on September 14, 1955, Prevost, 69, graduated from Villanova in 1977 with a degree in mathematics, also studying philosophy during his time on the Main Line. Ordained in 1982, Prevost spent the better part of four decades in South America, serving on mission in Peru and later becoming the Bishop of Chiclayo in 2015.

Created Cardinal in September 2023, Prevost is considered a centrist, progressive on social issues like his predecessor while retaining a conservative view on matters of church doctrine. He succeeds Pope Francis, who passed away on Easter Monday, April 21, and is the 14th pope to take the papal name Leo, following Leo XIII (1878-1903).