Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost was chosen the 267 pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church, choosing the name Pope Leon XIV.
Pope Leon begins his pontificate
Robert Prevost, born on September 14, 1955, chosen on Thursday in the Vatican conclave, loves tennis, a discipline he practiced.
Leon XIV, the name he has chosen for his pontificate, has a past tennis player’s past. It is known that Pope Francis was in the wind after football, being a fan of the Argentine band San Lorenzo.
An anecdote says that Prevost, when he received the red cardinal hat, expressed regret for the little free time he had for tennis. “I consider myself an amateur“He said in an interview.
“Since I left Peru I had little opportunities to train, so I can hardly wait to go back to the field“, The American said.
The new Pope, say those who know him and saw him playing, seems to have an excellent reverb and is an feared competitor, at the level of amateurs. Coincidentally or not, the Pope was chosen during the Tennis tour of Rome, who plays on Foro Italico, a few meters from the Vatican.
Promoted by Pope Francis
Born in Chicago, Robert Francis Prevost entered the order of Saint Augustine in 1977, taking solemn oaths in 1981. His academic career includes a license in mathematics at Villanova University, a master’s degree in Theology of the Catholic Theological Union of Chicago and, later, a pontain Saint Thomas of Aquino in Rome.
His ecclesiastical career is marked by important roles and numerous prizes. After his priestly ordination in 1982, Prevost left in 1985 in the Augustine mission of Peru, where he held the Chancellor of the Territorial Prelate of Chulucanas until 1986.
In January 2023, Pope Francis called to Rome, calling him a prefect of the Dicaster for bishops, a strategic position, because he is responsible for the appointment of bishops from all over the world. On September 30, 2023, Francis made Cardinal.
Robert Francis Prevost has become an important figure in the contemporary Catholic Church, with an international profile that could unite different sensitivities within the church, say analysts.
Cardinal is a member of seven departments of the Vatican, a sign of the trust that Pope Francis has given his administrative competence.
