Church leaders & Christian unity
Pope Leo XIV
Bishop of Rome and the 267th Successor of Saint Peter, the first Pope from the United States and the first Augustinian Pope.
Life and ministry
- Birth name
- Robert Francis Prevost
- Motto
- In Illo uno unum: “In the One, we are one” (St Augustine)
- Born
- · Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Solemn vows in the Order of Saint Augustine
- Ordained priest
- · Rome
- Ordained bishop
- Appointed Bishop of Chiclayo, Peru
- Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops
- Created Cardinal
- Elected Pope
Coat of arms
The shield is divided diagonally: on blue, a silver lily, a symbol of the Virgin Mary; on ivory, the Augustinian emblem of a heart pierced by an arrow, resting on a book (“You have wounded my heart with your love”, Confessions). Behind the shield are the crossed keys of Saint Peter.
Main documents so far
- Dilexi te · Apostolic exhortation ·
- Drawing New Maps of Hope · Apostolic letter ·
- In Unitate Fidei · Apostolic letter ·
- Joint Declaration of Leo XIV and Bartholomew I · Joint declaration ·
- A Fidelity that Generates the Future · Apostolic letter ·
- Magnifica Humanitas · Encyclical ·
The Pope in Catholic teaching
The Lord made Peter the visible foundation of his Church; the Bishop of Rome, Peter's successor, is “the perpetual and visible source and foundation of the unity both of the bishops and of the whole company of the faithful” (CCC 880–882).
Sources
- vatican.va: Biography of the Holy Father Leo XIV
- Holy See Press Office: The coat of arms of Pope Leo XIV (14 May 2025)
- Vatican News: Biography of Pope Leo XIV
- Catechism of the Catholic Church 880–882
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