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Born: 14 September 1955 · Age: 71
Leo XIV is 71 years old as of October 2026. He was born on 14 September 1955.
Chicago-born Augustinian who became pope in 2025, the first leader of the Catholic Church from the United States
Did you know?Born in Chicago, he spent more than twenty years working as a missionary and priest in Peru before joining the Vatican.
Leo XIV made history in May 2025 when he became the first pope born in the United States. Born Robert Francis Prevost in Chicago, he spent many years as a missionary and bishop in Peru, and holds Peruvian citizenship as well. A member of the Augustinian order, he was known within the Church as a quiet, careful administrator. His choice of the name Leo, linked to popes who championed social justice, was seen as a signal of his priorities. In October 2026, after surgery at Rome's Gemelli Hospital to remove part of his right lung, the Vatican confirmed that he had been diagnosed with lung cancer.
Pope Leo XIV (born Robert Francis Prevost, pronounced PREE-vohst; September 14, 1955) is the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City. Born in Chicago, United States, Prevost became a friar in the Order of Saint Augustine in 1977 and was ordained as a priest in 1982.
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Profile
American-born pope, born 1955
Leo XIV was born in Chicago on 14 September 1955.
He was born Robert Francis Prevost in Chicago.
He spent many years as a missionary in Peru.
He was elected pope in May 2025.
Career highlights
Did you know?He holds Peruvian citizenship as well as American.
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Last reviewed: October 2026