In his first words as Pope Francis’ successor, uttered from the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica, Leo said, “Peace be with you,

By Alek Buttermann The election of US Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, as the new head of the Catholic Church has placed Peru under an unexpected international spotlight. Prevost, an American-born cardinal who holds Peruvian nationality,

Cardinal Robert Prevost may be the first person from the U.S. to become the head of the Catholic Church but his surprising election by the world's cardinals as Pope Leo XIV probably had less to do with his birthplace than his former workplace.