The white smoke hadn't even cleared from the Sistine Chapel chimney before the world started frantically Googling a single question: where is new pope from? It's a fair question. Honestly, for the last twelve years, we all got very used to the "pope from the ends of the earth." Jorge Mario Bergoglio—Pope Francis—was a Buenos Aires local through and through. But as of May 8, 2025, the geography of the Vatican shifted in a way that literally nobody saw coming twenty years ago.
The new guy? He’s from Chicago.
The Windy City to the Holy See
Basically, Pope Leo XIV, born Robert Francis Prevost, is the first American ever to sit on the Chair of Peter. It’s kind of a big deal. If you’re looking for the short answer to where is new pope from, he was born in Chicago, Illinois, on September 14, 1955. He grew up in Dolton, a suburb that is about as far from the marble halls of the Apostolic Palace as you can get.
His journey didn't just go straight from the Midwest to Rome, though. That would be too simple.
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Prevost spent decades as a missionary in Peru. Because of that, he actually holds dual citizenship. He’s American by birth, but he’s also a citizen of Peru. He speaks Spanish with that specific, soft cadence you find in the Andes, which is probably why the Latin American cardinals felt so comfortable voting for him. He isn't just "the American pope." He’s a bridge-builder who spent twenty years in the trenches of Chulucanas and Chiclayo.
Why his background actually matters
When people ask where is new pope from, they usually want to know how he’s going to run the Church. Geography is destiny in the Vatican.
- The Augustinian Connection: Unlike Francis, who was a Jesuit, Leo XIV is an Augustinian. He was actually the Prior General of the Order of Saint Augustine in Rome for over a decade. This means he’s a "Rule of St. Augustine" guy—focusing on community, shared life, and that famous "restless heart" theology.
- The Canon Law Expert: He’s a lawyer. Not the corporate kind, but a Doctor of Canon Law. This is a massive shift from the more pastoral, "make a mess" style of Francis. People in Rome expect things to get a lot more organized and structured under Leo.
- The "First" Factor: He’s the first pope born after World War II. He’s the first American. He’s the first to really understand the hyper-polarized world of U.S. politics while having a deep, lived-in love for the Global South.
What most people get wrong about his "American" roots
There’s this misconception that an American pope means the Vatican is suddenly going to start acting like a branch of the U.S. State Department. It’s actually the opposite. Prevost’s time in Peru changed him.
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He didn't live in a mansion in Chicago; he lived in mission territories. He saw poverty that makes "inner-city" problems look like a vacation. When he talks about social justice, it’s not coming from a political textbook. It’s coming from the decades he spent as a friar in the Northern Peruvian desert.
His election wasn't just a win for the U.S. Church. It was a tactical move by the College of Cardinals. They wanted someone who understood the financial and administrative mess of the Vatican (which he does, having served as Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops) but who wouldn't lose that "smell of the sheep" that Francis championed.
A restless 2026 ahead
Now that the 2025 Jubilee is over, 2026 is when we really see what Leo XIV is made of. He’s already called for an extraordinary consistory this January. He’s talking about artificial intelligence. He’s planning a trip to Algeria.
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You've got to admit, it’s a weird, fascinating time to be watching the Papacy. We went from a centuries-long streak of Europeans, to an Argentine, to a guy who probably grew up eating Chicago-style deep dish and cheering for the local teams before heading off to the missions.
How to follow the new Papacy
If you want to keep tabs on how the Chicagoan is doing in Rome, here are the best ways to stay updated:
- Watch the General Audiences: Leo XIV has started a new series on the documents of Vatican II. It’s a bit more academic than Francis’s talks, but it shows exactly where he’s taking the "ship."
- Follow the "Leo Effect": Keep an eye on U.S. seminary enrollments. Experts are waiting to see if a pope from the Midwest sparks a surge in American vocations.
- Check the Travel Schedule: Rumors are swirling about a 2026 return to the United States. If he hits Chicago, it’ll be the biggest homecoming in the history of the city.
The answer to where is new pope from is simple on a map, but the impact of that answer is going to be felt for decades. He’s a blend of American pragmatism and Latin American heart.
Keep an eye on the official Vatican News bulletins this month for the results of the January consistory, as that's where Leo XIV will likely announce his first major appointments and the direction of his 2026 reforms.