Sun May 11 00:58:00 UTC 2025: ## American Cardinal Elected First U.S. Pope: Leo XIV Faces Divided Church

**Vatican City, May 11, 2025** – In a surprise election, Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, a 69-year-old American, has been elected the 267th Pope, taking the name Leo XIV. His selection, after only four ballots, marks the first time a U.S. citizen has held the papacy.

Pope Leo XIV, formerly the Bishop of Chiclayo, Peru, where he gained the moniker “saint of the north,” addressed the crowd in St. Peter’s Square, emphasizing themes of peace, dialogue, and a missionary church. His dual U.S.-Peruvian citizenship places him squarely on the North-South ecclesiastical and economic fault line.

The new Pope’s election has been met with a mixed reaction. While Peruvian President Dina Boluarte celebrated the historic moment, some U.S. far-right figures have voiced strong opposition, labeling him “anti-Trump” and a “Marxist.” These reactions echo the hostility faced by Pope John Paul II during his papacy.

Before his election, Pope Leo served as Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, continuing Pope Francis’s pastoral vision. However, his past statements criticizing “homosexual lifestyles” and “alternative families,” along with his opposition to “gender ideology” in schools, have fueled controversy.

His papacy also inherits internal divisions within the U.S. Catholic Church and coincides with Donald Trump’s second term as U.S. President. While Pope Leo’s choice of papal name references Pope Leo XIII, known for his social teachings on workers’ rights, questions remain regarding past accusations of mishandling of abuse claims during his time as an Augustinian prior in Chicago and as Bishop in Peru. Despite diocesan claims that protocols were followed, victim advocacy groups maintain that mishandling occurred.

Pope Leo’s background in mathematics and canon law, coupled with his history of direct pastoral engagement, will shape his leadership of the 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide as he navigates a complex and divided global landscape.

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