The current pope is Pope Leo XIV, born Robert Francis Prevost. He was elected Bishop of Rome on May 8, 2025, becoming the 267th pope of the Catholic Church. His pontificate was formally inaugurated on May 18, 2025.
For Catholics, the pope is the Bishop of Rome and the successor of Saint Peter. The office combines pastoral leadership, teaching authority, church governance, and a public role in international and interreligious affairs.
Who Is the Current Pope?
Pope Leo XIV is the current pope. Before his election, he was Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, an Augustinian priest and bishop who had spent many years in ministry in Peru and later served in Rome as Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops.
According to the Holy See, Leo XIV is the 267th pope of the Catholic Church. He is the first pope from the Order of Saint Augustine and the second pope from the Americas after Pope Francis.
Name and Background
Robert Francis Prevost was born on September 14, 1955, in Chicago, Illinois. He studied mathematics at Villanova University and later entered the Order of Saint Augustine. He was ordained a priest in 1982 and pursued studies in canon law in Rome.
A large part of his ministry was connected with Peru. He worked there as a missionary and church leader, later becoming Bishop of Chiclayo. This long experience in Latin America formed an important part of his pastoral background before he returned to Rome for service in the Roman Curia.
From Bishop to Pope
Pope Francis appointed Prevost Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops in 2023. That office has a major role in the process by which bishops are considered and appointed in much of the Catholic Church. Francis also created him a cardinal in September 2023.
Cardinal Prevost was elected pope on May 8, 2025, during the conclave held after the end of Pope Francis’s pontificate. He chose the name Leo XIV.
What Does the Pope Do?
The pope’s role has developed over many centuries, and Catholics understand it through both theology and church law. The office is rooted in the Catholic belief that the Bishop of Rome succeeds the Apostle Peter in a distinctive ministry of unity and pastoral oversight.
Bishop of Rome
The pope is first of all the Bishop of Rome. This is not simply an honorary title. His connection with the Church of Rome is central to the historical development of the papacy and to Catholic teaching about apostolic succession.
Teaching and Pastoral Leadership
The pope teaches on matters of faith and morals, issues homilies and major documents, meets bishops and other church leaders, and addresses Catholics around the world. Different papal documents carry different levels of authority, and Catholic theology distinguishes carefully between ordinary papal teaching and the rare conditions associated with papal infallibility.
The pope also has a pastoral role. His public ministry includes liturgical celebrations, meetings with pilgrims, visits to local churches, and messages related to religious life, peace, human dignity, social responsibility, and other questions facing Catholic communities.
Church Governance
The pope has supreme authority in the governance of the Catholic Church under canon law. Among other responsibilities, he appoints bishops, oversees the work of the Roman Curia, convenes or approves major church assemblies, and makes decisions affecting the universal Church.
Day-to-day administration is carried out through Vatican departments and other church institutions rather than by the pope acting alone.
International and Interreligious Role
Because the Holy See maintains diplomatic relations with states and international organizations, the pope also has a visible role in global diplomacy. Popes regularly meet political leaders, representatives of other Christian traditions, and members of other religions.
These encounters may address peace, humanitarian crises, religious freedom, migration, poverty, environmental concerns, and other international issues. The diplomatic role of the Holy See is distinct from the pastoral and doctrinal role of the pope, although the two can overlap in public life.
Pope Leo XIV’s Path to the Papacy
Leo XIV’s biography combines experience in religious life, missionary work, diocesan leadership, and the Roman Curia.
Augustinian Formation
Prevost entered the novitiate of the Order of Saint Augustine in 1977 and made solemn vows in 1981. He was ordained a priest the following year. He later served the Augustinian order in several leadership roles, including two terms as Prior General.
His election made him the first Augustinian pope.
Ministry in Peru
Prevost spent many years in Peru as a missionary, educator, and church administrator. Pope Francis appointed him Apostolic Administrator of Chiclayo in 2014, and he became Bishop of Chiclayo in 2015.
His work in Peru is significant because it gave him long pastoral experience outside the United States and connected his ministry closely with the Catholic Church in Latin America.
Service in Rome
In January 2023, Pope Francis appointed Prevost Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops and President of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America. He was created a cardinal later that year.
These responsibilities placed him at the center of the Church’s episcopal appointment process and brought him into regular contact with bishops from many parts of the world.
Pope Francis as Leo XIV’s Predecessor
Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, served as pope from 2013 to 2025. He was the first Jesuit pope, the first pope from Latin America, and the first to take the name Francis.
Francis’s pontificate emphasized themes including mercy, care for people on the margins, interreligious dialogue, migration, social inequality, and care for creation. His major documents remain part of the recent history of Catholic teaching.
Leo XIV succeeded Francis in 2025. Discussions of the current papacy should therefore distinguish between the teachings and initiatives of Pope Francis and those issued under Pope Leo XIV.
How to Verify Who the Current Pope Is
Because a page about the “current pope” can become outdated after a conclave, the most reliable source is the official website of the Holy See. The Vatican’s profile for Leo XIV identifies him as the 267th pope and provides links to his official documents, speeches, audiences, homilies, and other activities.
Official reference: Holy See — Pope Leo XIV.
Why the Papacy Matters in Catholicism
The papacy is one of the most visible institutions in Christianity, but its meaning differs among Christian traditions. Roman Catholics recognize the pope’s universal pastoral and governing authority. Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Anglican, Protestant, and other Christian communities understand the authority of the Bishop of Rome in different ways.
For that reason, descriptions of the pope are most accurate when they distinguish Catholic teaching about the office from broader statements about Christianity as a whole.
Conclusion
Pope Leo XIV is the current pope and the 267th Bishop of Rome. His background includes Augustinian religious life, long service in Peru, leadership in the Dicastery for Bishops, and election to the papacy in May 2025.
The office he holds is both ancient and contemporary: it is rooted in Catholic interpretations of apostolic succession while continuing to function through modern institutions, global communications, diplomacy, and pastoral leadership.
