In a startling turn of events, the first U.S.-born pope has been elected.

Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, 69, who grew up in Chicago in the 1960s, will be called Pope Leo XIV (the 14th).

He was formerly a bishop in Peru.

The new pope, elected at the Vatican today, was introduced to a crowd at St. Peter’s Square as the spiritual leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics.

“God loves you all,” he said in Italian. “We are all beloved of God.”

His native language is English, but he also speaks fluent Italian and Spanish. He spoke from the balcony in Italian and Latin.

He was elevated to cardinal by Pope Francis in 2023 and has been leading the Vatican office that selects and manages bishops.

He studied canon law at the Angelicum in Rome, and was ordained there as a priest in 1982.

Like his predecessor, Pope Francis, who was from Argentina, the new pope has extensive experience leading the church in South America.

He began working in the Territorial Prelature of Chulucanas, in northwestern Peru, which had a strong connection with the U.S. Augustinians. He became a naturalized citizen of Peru. He served as a community prior, director of formation, teacher of the professed, judicial vicar, and professor.

In 1999, he was elected provincial prior of the Midwest Augustinians.

In 2001, Prevost was elected prior general of the worldwide Augustinian order, a post he held for two six-year terms.

In 2014, Pope Francis named him apostolic administrator of the Chiclayo diocese, bringing him back to northwestern Peru. A year later, Prevost became bishop of the diocese that covers one of Peru’s biggest cities.

He will be the first pope whose native language is English, and with an American dialect.