Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, known as the 'saint of the north' in Peru for his closeness to poor

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Robert Prevost whitethorn person made past Thursday by becoming the archetypal pope from the United States. But successful Peru, helium is known arsenic the saintly missionary who waded done mud aft torrential rains flooded the region, bringing assistance to needy people, and arsenic the bishop who spearheaded the life-saving acquisition of oxygen accumulation plants during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“He worked truthful hard to find help, that determination was not lone capable for 1 plant, but for 2 oxygen plants,” said Janinna Sesa, who met Prevost portion she worked for the church’s Caritas nonprofit successful Peru.

“He has nary occupation fixing a broken-down motortruck until it runs,” she added.

Pope Francis, history's archetypal Latin American pope, intelligibly saw thing successful Prevost aboriginal on.

He archetypal sent him to Chiclayo successful 2014, past brought him to the Vatican successful 2023 arsenic the almighty caput of the bureau that vets bishop nominations, 1 of the astir important jobs successful the Catholic Church.

On Thursday, Prevost ascended to go Pope Leo XIV — the archetypal pontiff from the United States.

Prevost, 69, had to flooded the taboo against an American pope, fixed the geopolitical powerfulness already wielded by the U.S. successful the secular sphere.

The Chicago autochthonal is besides a Peruvian national and lived for years successful Peru, archetypal arsenic a missionary and past arsenic bishop.

He evoked his wide missionary acquisition successful his archetypal nationalist remarks arsenic pope, speaking successful Italian, past switching to Spanish — and saying not a connection successful English arsenic helium addressed the assemblage successful St. Peter's Square.

“Together, we indispensable effort to find retired however to beryllium a missionary church, a religion that builds bridges, dialogues, that’s ever unfastened to person — similar connected this piazza with unfastened arms — to beryllium capable to person everybody that needs our charity, our presence, dialog and love,” helium said.

The caller pope had prominence going into the conclave that fewer different cardinals have.

Prevost was doubly elected anterior general, oregon apical leader, of the Augustinians, the 13th period spiritual bid founded by St. Augustine.

After Francis sent him to Chiclayo, helium acquired Peruvian citizenship successful 2015, until Francis brought him to Rome successful 2023 to presume the bishops' bureau and presidency of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America. In that occupation helium would person kept successful regular interaction with the Catholic hierarchy successful the portion of the satellite that counts the astir Catholics and presumably was important to his predetermination Thursday.

The Rev. Alexander Lam, an Augustinian friar from Peru who knows the caller pope, said helium was beloved successful Peru for his closeness to his people, particularly mediocre people. He said helium was a champion of societal justness issues and biology stewardship.

“Even the bishops of Peru called him the saint, the Saint of the North, and helium had clip for everyone,” Lam said successful an interrogation with The Associated Press successful Rome. “He was the idiosyncratic who would find you on the way. He was this benignant of bishop.”

He said that erstwhile Francis travelled to Peru successful 2018, Prevost camped retired with his flock connected the crushed during the vigil earlier Francis' Mass. "Roberto has that style, that closeness. Maybe they are not large organization gestures, but are successful quality gestures.”

Ever since arriving successful Rome, Prevost has kept a debased nationalist profile, but helium is good known to the men who count.

Significantly, helium presided implicit 1 of the astir revolutionary reforms Francis made, erstwhile helium added 3 women to the voting bloc that decides which bishop nominations to guardant to the pope. In aboriginal 2025, Francis again showed his esteem by appointing Prevost to the astir elder fertile of cardinals.

The enactment of a U.S.-born pope could person profound interaction connected the aboriginal of the U.S. Catholic Church, which has been sharply divided betwixt conservatives and progressives. Francis, with Prevost’s assistance astatine the assistance of the bishop vetting office, had embarked connected a 12-year task to rein successful the traditionalist tendencies successful the United States.

Prevost's predetermination “is a heavy motion of committedness to societal issues. I deliberation it is going to beryllium breathtaking to spot a antithetic benignant of American Catholicism successful Rome,’’ said Natalia Imperatori-Lee, a prof of spiritual studies astatine Manhattan University successful New York City.

The bells of the cathedral successful Peru’s superior of Lima tolled aft Prevost's predetermination was announced. People extracurricular the religion expressed their tendency for a papal sojourn astatine 1 point.

“For america Peruvians, it is simply a root of pridefulness that this is simply a pope who represents our country,” said simple schoolhouse teacher Isabel Panez, who happened to beryllium adjacent the cathedral erstwhile the quality was announced. “We would similar him to sojourn america present successful Peru.”

The Rev. Fidel Purisaca Vigil, the communications manager for Prevost’s aged diocese successful Chiclayo, remembers the cardinal rising each time and having meal with his chap priests aft saying his prayers.

“No substance however galore problems helium has, helium maintains bully wit and joy,” Purisaca said successful an email.

Born successful Chicago successful 1955, Prevost joined the Order of St. Augustine successful 1977. He attended Villanova University adjacent Philadelphia, wherever helium received a Bachelor of Science successful 1977, and helium got a Master of Divinity grade from Catholic Theological Union successful Chicago successful 1982.

In Rome, astatine the Augustinian office conscionable disconnected St. Peter's Square, the temper was festive.

The Rev. Franz Klein, treasurer wide of the Augustinian order, said helium was shocked by the news.

“For us, the Augustinian order, this is 1 of the biggest moments successful history," helium said. "I’m amazed and precise happy.”

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Associated Press religion sum receives enactment done the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with backing from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely liable for this content.

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Briceño reported from Lima, Peru. Francesca Primavilla and Trisha Thomas contributed.

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This communicative has been amended to close that Prevost was a bishop successful Peru.