P olitical figures around the world have congratulated Robert Francis Prevost, now known as Pope Leo XIV, after his election on Thursday, May 8, as pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church. Hailing from Chicago and a dual U.S.-Peru national, Prevost is the first North American Pope and second from the Americas, after his late predecessor Francis.

Prevost was brought to the Vatican in 2023 by Pope Francis as the powerful head of the office that vets bishop nominations.

The elevation of Chicago-native Robert Francis Prevost appeared to come from a confluence of factors, analysts said.