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  How Father Bob became Pope Leo But back then, when all seemed certain, he revealed his doubts to his father. “Maybe it would be better I leave this life and get married; I want to have children, a normal life,” the future pope, in a 2024 interview on Italian television, recalled saying. His father responded, he said, in a very human but deep way, telling his youngest son that, yes, “the intimacy between him and my mom” was important, but so was the intimacy between a priest and the love of God. The class of potential priests whittled down over the years — some got girlfriends, others got homesick and others lost their calling. In the end, only 13 out of several dozen, including Prevost, made it to graduation. He had expected to attend an Illinois seminary for Augustinians, but it folded, so he instead went to Villanova, in 1973. He majored in math and attended Masses that were sometimes interrupted by shouts of “Hoagie Man!” when a guy selling subs passed by. Prevost and the othe...

  The pope is Peruvian! How 2 decades in South America shaped the vision of Pope Leo XIV During his time in the South American nation, he lived alongside his parishioners through a bloody civil war, a decade-long dictatorship and an unstable post-dictatorship period that has so far led to three former presidents being handed prison sentences. Amid these challenges, Prevost became part of Peruvian society – and, eventually, a leader within it. Prevost’s leadership roles in Chicago and Rome were essential in his formation. But as a scholar of religion in Latin America, I believe that it is his time in Peru that has best prepared him to take on the challenges of directing the global Catholic Church. In Peru, where Catholicism permeates public life, Prevost encountered deep social and political challenges in ways that bishops in many other countries may never face so directly. Prevost first arrived in Peru in 1985. A member of the Order of St. Augustine, the young man had been sent to ...

  IN MEMORIAM MAY 13, 2025 SYLVIA "SISSY" ROBYN STATISTA; SUICIDE AMONG MOST COMMON CAUSES OF DEATH

  Pope Leo XIV: CTU Master of Divinity Cardinal Robert Prevost, OSA— now Pope Leo XIV—, earned his Master of Divinity degree from CTU in 1982 and was ordained the following year.   CTU’s Master of Divinity (M. Div.) program prepares students for full-time professional ministry in the Roman Catholic Church, including ordination to the priesthood. Students at CTU study theology and ministry that is both grounded in tradition and engaged with current contexts.  Born in Chicago in 1955 to a multicultural family of Hispanic, French, and Italian heritage, Pope Leo XIV joined the Augustinians in 1977 and began his theological formation at CTU shortly thereafter. His early ministry took him to northern Peru, where he served as a pastor, educator, and canon law expert. His leadership trajectory led him from the Augustinian Province of Chicago to his appointment as Prior General of the worldwide Augustinian Order. In 2014, Pope Francis appointed him Bishop of Chiclayo, Peru, a...

  Leo is the Youngest Pope since John Paul II Aged 69, Pope Leo XIV is younger that his two predecessors, bucking the trend of newly elected popes becoming older. Benedict XVI and Francis were 78 and 76 at the time they were chosen for the highest office in the Catholic Church, which led to questions about their longevity. At 69, Leo XIV is widely considered to be at the ideal age to enter the papacy, as he has a vast amount of experience to draw from, but should still be able to serve as pope for more than a decade, unforeseen circumstances notwithstanding. As our chart dating back to 1900 shows, most popes of the past 125 years were selected when they were in their early to mid-60s. John XXIII, elected in 1958, Benedict XVI, elected in 2005 and Francis (2013), were the only ones who were well into their 70s by the time they for picked for the papacy. You will find more infographics at Statista

  STATISTA: Pope Leo Expands Papa; Footprint to North America by  Felix Richter,   May 9, 2025 On Thursday late afternoon, white smoke emerged from the Sistine Chapel, signaling that the cardinals had chosen a new pope on the second day of the conclave. Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, a 69-year-old from Chicago, is the first pope from the United States. His appointment marks a historic milestone in the history of the Catholic Church, as it signifies broadening of the Church’s global leadership, reflecting the growing influence of Catholic communities in the Americas. Pope Leo XIV, as he has chosen to be called, is widely expected to follow in the footsteps of Francis in terms of his progressive views and focus on working for the underprivileged. Like Francis, he has “a deep feeling for the disenfranchised, for the poor, for those who were not listened to,” his brother John Prevost told CNN, adding that he believes that his brother will speak his mind. As our chart shows,...