On May 8th, 2025, history was made in St. Peter’s Basilica with the election of Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost as Pope Leo XIV, marking the first time an American has ascended to the papacy. Elected swiftly after just four rounds of voting, Leo XIV steps into his role during a complex geopolitical and ecclesial landscape. Rooted in Augustinian spirituality and shaped by decades of pastoral and administrative experience across Latin America and the US, the new Pope embodies both continuity with Francis’s vision and a return to traditional symbols of papal authority. His election has drawn significant international attention, especially from American and European leaders, sparking renewed reflections on the Catholic Church’s global role and evolving relationship with the West.