Who are Robert Prevost's family members? Here are Pope Leo XIV's parents, siblings
On just the second day of voting, 133 cardinals from across the globe made history during the papal conclave Thursday, May 8, choosing the first American-born pontiff in Cardinal Robert Prevost.
The 69-year-old, who will go by the name Leo XIV, spent his first quarter-century living in the United States before moving to Peru, where he later became a naturalized citizen. He succeeds Pope Francis, who died April 21 at the age of 88.
Prevost served as prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops (formerly known as the Congregation for Bishops) and president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America since 2023. He also served as Bishop of Chiclayo in Peru from 2015 to 2023.
LIVE UPDATES: History is made with Pope Leo XIV, first-ever pontiff from U.S.
His father, Louis Marius Prevost is of French and Italian descent, according to a news release from the Vatican, and his mother, Mildred Martínez, is of Spanish descent. The Chicago Sun-Times has reported his father was an educator and his mother Mildred a librarian.
He has two brothers, Louis Martín Prevost and John Joseph Prevost.
Prevost was born Sept. 14, 1955, in Chicago, Illinois.
He attended Catholic Theological Union in Chicago and Villanova University in Pennsylvania before earning a doctorate in canon law from the Pontifical College of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome.
Kathryn Palmer is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach her at kapalmer@usatoday.com and on X @KathrynPlmr.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Robert Prevost's family members: See Pope Leo XIV's parents, siblings
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