Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson (D) celebrated the Thursday selection of Pope Leo XIV, a Chicago native formerly known as Cardinal Robert Prevost, the first pontiff from the U.S.
“Everything dope, including the Pope, comes from Chicago! Congratulations to the first American Pope Leo XIV! We hope to welcome you back home soon,” Johnson wrote in a Thursday post on X, moments after the announcement.
Leo XIV will be the first American pope in the 2,000 year history of the Roman Catholic Church.
The 69-year-old hails from Dolton, a neighborhood on Chicago’s south side. He grew up with his two brothers, Louis and John, who were raised by parents of French, Italian and Spanish descent.
The new pope’s father, Louis Marius Prevost, worked as a school administrator after serving in World War II, while his mother, Mildred Martínez, was employed as a librarian.
His career in the Catholic Church began at a young age when he was selected to become an altar boy at St. Mary of the Assumption Church in Chicago.
Leo XIV went on to study at the minor seminary of the Order of St. Augustine in 1973, as reported by the Vatican. He later earned a bachelor of science degree in mathematics at Villanova University in 1977.
