Pope Leo XIV celebrates this Monday, September 14, his 71st birthday. Robert Francis Prevost was born on September 14, 1955, in Chicago, in the United States, being the youngest of three siblings. This is the second birthday he celebrates as successor of Saint Peter, after being elected Pope on May 8, 2025. He is the 267th Pope of the Catholic Church and the first natural pontiff from the United States, as well as the first Augustinian to be elected Pope.
Before his election to the See of Peter, Leo XIV was prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops. A religious of the Order of Saint Augustine, he lived for several years in Peru, where he developed much of his missionary and episcopal ministry.
His pontificate, begun about 16 months ago, has been marked by repeated calls for peace, dialogue, and building bridges. During this period, he made several international apostolic trips, including a first trip to Turkey and Lebanon in November 2025, a visit to Africa in April 2026 with stops in Algeria, Cameroon, Angola, and Equatorial Guinea, and a visit to Spain in June.
The Pope's international agenda remains busy. From September 25 to 28, he travels to France, visiting Paris, Lourdes, and Metz, and will visit the UNESCO headquarters. A trip to Latin America is scheduled for November, from the 6th to the 17th, which will include visits to Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru, the country where he lived for several years as a missionary and bishop.
