Could Cardinal Robert Prevost, originally from Chicago, become first American pope?
Never in the history of the Roman Catholic Church has there been an American pope, but now, one name has been coming up as a possible frontrunner.
Robert Cardinal Prevost is originally from Chicago, and serves as the head of the church's Dicastery for Bishops. The powerful position means he oversees the selection of new bishops.
Prevost has spent much of his time serving in Peru, and holds nationality in both the U.S. and Peru.
Father Mark R. Francis, CSV, provincial of the Viatorians in the United States, studied with Cardinal Prevost. He said Prevost could indeed be the first pope from the U.S. largely in part for his work in Latin America for many years.
Francis and Prevost were seminary classmates at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago from 1978 until 1982. They also both worked in Rome in the early 2000s.
"My experience of Cardinal Prevost was that he's not a showboat," said Fr. Francis. "He's very calm, but extremely intelligent, and extremely compassionate."
Fr. Francis was asked what his hope is for the next pope, whoever he may be.
"I think coming together as a Christian community, that we're able to read the signs of the times and figure out what we need to do as a church," Francis said.
Prevost is seen as a progressive on many social issues. Overall, many view him as a centrist.
Like Pope Francis, Prevost has spent time embracing marginalized groups such as the poor.
"He's a person who's very sensitive, and is concerned to allow everyone to have a voice," said Fr. Francis.
Would a Prevost papacy look similar to that of Pope Francis?
"It would be similar in terms of basic goals, I think," said Francis. "The kind of style he would bring to the papacy would be calm, steady, very direct kind of guidance."
Right now, Prevost lives in Rome, overseeing the election of new bishops all over the world.
As an American, his election would be a historic surprise.
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