Leo XIV: Portrait of the First American Pope

by Matthew Bunson

The smoke clears. The world watches. A name is announced. A man steps forward and the earth’s gaze falls upon him.

We have a Pope! And his name is Leo XIV.

But who is this 266th successor to St. Peter? What is the former Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost’s vision for the Church, and what impact will his papacy have on Catholics and on the world?

Veteran Catholic journalist and historian Matthew Bunson offers the first authoritative portrait of the new Holy Father. With unmatched access, deep sources in Rome, and a reputation for integrity and insight, Bunson delivers a compelling, richly textured narrative of the new pope’s life, beliefs, and improbable journey to the Chair of St. Peter.

In this comprehensive and deeply satisfying account, you will

His birth at Mercy Hospital and early life in Dolton, just outside South Side ChicagoHis classic American Catholic upbringing, from the moment the legacy institutions began to declineSuburban Chicago as the quintessential microcosm of the Church in AmericaThe Augustinian intellectual heritage, and the sketches of the Augustinian saints in his pectoral crossPeru as a place of its geography, culture, and the history of Catholicism in northwest South AmericaLeo as a fully American pope shaped by both the U.S. and Latin AmericaCardinal Prevost’s Vatican career culminating in his appointment as prefect for the Dicastery for BishopsHis relationship with Pope Francis, and early decisions that signal a desire to place himself within the Church’s traditionAccessible, informative, and rooted in journalistic rigor and an intimate understanding of the Church, Leo Portrait of the First American Pope is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the man inside the white cassock—and the moment in which he will reign.

Genres: Nonfiction, Religion, Catholic

160 pages, Paperback

Published June 17, 2025

About the author

Matthew Bunson (born 1966) is an American author of more than fifty books, a historian, professor, editor, Roman Catholic theologian, Senior Contributor for EWTN, the Catholic multimedia network, Senior Fellow at the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology, and Faculty Chair at Catholic Distance University.
He is the author of the books Encyclopedia of the Roman Empire, The Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt, The Vampire Encyclopedia, Encyclopedia of American Catholic History, and Pope Francis, the first English-language biography of Pope Francis in 2013.
Bunson has a B.A. in history, an M.A. in Theology, a Master of Divinity, a Doctorate in Ministry and a Ph.D. in Church History from the Graduate Theological Foundation. He is on the faculty of the Catholic Distance University where he teaches Church History, including Roman Catholic-Islamic relations and Medieval and American Catholic History, and Catholic Social Teaching. He is a Senior Fellow of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology.

Reviews

[Catriona Murray · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book, available so soon after the election of Pope Leo XIV, could hardly be more than it is - a digest of readily available biographical information, press articles and interviews, with a good foundation of history. It is as much a biography of Augustine and Pope Leo XIII as it is of the current Pontiff. If you’re curious about Robert F Prevost and his path to the Vatican, this is a good appetiser; no doubt much more will be written in the years to come.

[Kayla Phillips Boerckel · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent summary of Pope Leo XIV’s life and mission considering the book’s expedited publication.

A favorite quote:
“First of all, our priority cannot be to look for vocations. Our priority has to be to live the good news, to live the Gospel, to share the enthusiasm that can be born in our hearts and in our lives when we truly discover who Jesus Christ is. When we stay walking with Christ, in communion with one another, in that friendship with the Lord and understanding how great it is to have received that gift, vocations come.”

[Maria Gallagher · Rating 5 out of 5]

A stellar portrait of the Pope

This portrait of Pope Leo XIV is absolutely stellar! It gives a complete rendering of the Holy Father, just weeks after his ascendancy to the Papacy. This is a must-read for all papal watchers!

[Catherine Casey]

A very good introduction to Pope Leo XIV. Looking forward to other reads and his own work of Encyclicals etc.

[Periplus Bookstores · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sejak pemilihannya sebagai Paus Leo XIV pada Mei 2025, tokoh baru di kepemimpinan tertinggi Gereja Katolik ini telah menarik perhatian bukan hanya karena statusnya sebagai orang Amerika pertamanya yang memegang jabatan tersebut, tetapi juga karena latar belakang misinya di Amerika Latin dan perpaduan tradisi serta reformasi yang dibawanya. Buku Leo XIV: The New Pope and Catholic Reform menyajikan perjalanan hidup Robert Prevost, dari masa kecilnya di Chicago, pelayanan misionaris di Peru, hingga perannya dalam Curia Romana—semua disampaikan dengan gaya jurnalistik yang tajam dan reflektif. Penulis mengulas proses Konklaf yang memilihnya, pilihan nama kepausannya merujuk kepada Leo XIII, serta warisan kepausan pendahulunya, terutama Paus Fransiskus, menggambarkan harapan dan tantangan institusional yang diwariskan kepadanya. Keberadaan Leo XIV dalam Gereja yang sangat terpecah oleh isu-isu sosial, politik, dan teologis memberi dinamika baru: bagaimana kepemimpinannya akan menjawab tuntutan keadilan sosial, dialog antar iman, serta reformasi internal tanpa kehilangan akar doctrinal dan spiritual. Buku ini juga menjelaskan bagaimana Gereja bisa mempertahankan relevansi di era AI, konflik global, dan moralitas yang semakin dipertanyakan di mata publik. Meski belum banyak rancangan perubahan riil teruji—karena masa kepausan yang masih baru—penulis mampu menyuguhkan sejumlah langkah awal dan sinyal arah yang mungkin diambil Leo XIV, seperti komitmennya terhadap “synodality,” pelayanan kepada yang terpinggirkan, dan keterbukaan dialog. Kekuatan buku ini adalah kemampuannya memotret periode transisi Gereja dengan keseimbangan: antara harapan ideal dan kenyataan praktis, antara kontinuitas dan kemungkinan inovasi. Cocok dibaca oleh umat Katolik yang ingin memahami masa depan Gereja, akademisi teologi dan studi agama, pengamat Vatican dan hubungan gereja-negara, serta siapa pun yang berminat pada kepemimpinan moral dalam konteks global. https://blog.periplus.com/2025/09/22/...

[Tim Shaw · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 * out of best-selling 5 *; this EWTN product / "instant biography"(May 19, 2025) does include the official portrait on the cover but lacks any photography of his birthplace Dolton, IL or the seminary High School / college and graduate programs he did very well at. The author of this 127-page treatment [ a mere 8 chapters with Afterword/s but no index and a Notes/Footnotes section that dwells very much on a source (National Catholic Register) -- not to be mistaken for NCRonline.org (National Catholic Reporter)]. He is a Pope needed by the time and generations to be affected by Vatican media, the universal scope of Roman Catholicism and the Eastern Rite Catholics, people from 1 day old to centenarians (believing and baptized, and those "outside" the boundaries of Christianity of the 21st century). Read it with care and notice that a last chapter quote from NY Archbishop Timothy Dolan is from the NY POST (a periodical with screaming headlines and politically unconventional). I await a better official biography next year (to be published first in Spanish, with other languages to follow thereafter).

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this! Although short and sweet, it's a good quick look into Pope Leo and his life thus far. Even though it's by no means comprehensive (there is time for those types of books to come out the farther we get into Pope Leo's papacy), Bunson gives us a great look into not only Pope Leo's life and the contexts he grew up in and ministered in, but also context for how the church has changed and evolved across time. As a Marquette alum, I learned things about both Fr. Marquette and the Jesuit order in this book which I was surprised by. Honestly, I thought this was really well done for what it is and Bunson does an awesome job of keeping to the theme: who is Pope Leo, how does his ministry thus far show us his philosophical and religious views, and what does it mean for the pope he will be?

[Rebecca The Files of Mrs. E, · Rating 5 out of 5]

Overall a good, short book introducing the world more to Pope Leo. In some parts it felt like filler, although some of it was more setting the scene or context for things in his life. It also lacked specifics for a lot or just glossed over some parts. But all of that makes sense considering how quickly the book was written, which is impressive. And this was a good introduction since most of us don't know as much about Pope Leo. I felt like where some details might be lacking, Bunson did his best to capture the spirit of Leo and give us an idea of what to expect. It was also a quick read so that people can easily get to know him. After reading it, I love him even more and am excited for the future of our church.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is mainly biographical rather than spiritual. It gives all of the background information on our new Holy Father, while also giving some really interesting bits regarding the "coincidences" leading up to his papacy. And there are a bunch of them! Reading about all of these coincidences and circumstances helped me to see God's Hand behind them all.

I really liked this simple quote from early in the book so I'm going to include it in this review:

...as the Church has bestowed so many blessings on America, now America has bestowed a gift to the Church."

Recommended for those wanting to learn the history of the first American pope.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the upcoming years there will be dozens of works written about Leo XIV..as well as dozens of works written by him. This biography will definitely not stand the test of time as the authorative version, but it is a quick and easy "Who is this guy and what background has he come from?" We get a quick overview of Augustian theology, being a Catholic in the Southside of Chicago and what the landscape in rural Peru is, how his Roman curia experience is relevant and an insight into the first few days.

[Alexander Mora · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent Portrait

This book offers a compelling portrait of the new Pope and what the Americas North and South can learn from him. I knew that Leo XIV will change the world and my hope is that any politician Republican and Democrat or as Matthew put it conservative and progressive, can learn to unite and not be split over certain issues the Church teaches with Scripture and Tradition.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Being curious about our newest Pope, I found this to be a concise, informative portrait. His background, education, and love for the poor give me hope for the future of our church. I felt Pope Francis's guidance from above in this election, when Francis called him back to Rome from Peru.
I pray for strength, good health, and Pope Leo's mission.

[Maritza Mejia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must-Read Book!

Leo XIV: Portrait of the First American Pope is an easy read which not only speaks about Pope Leo XIV but also enriches us with history, geography, theology, and culture surrounding the first pope of America (North and South).


 

[Missy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chapter 7: "Running an international religious order comes with extraordinary responsibilities...Somehow, in twelve years of hard decisions, no one in the Order felt he had done them and injustice...Everyone wouldn't just FELT heard; they'd KNOW they were heard."

[Elena S. Gomez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pope Leo XIV

This is a great summary of his life and background. He is probably the most experienced Pope we've had in a while.

[Delia Bates · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a must-read for all religions. Great insights.

[Sasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Knowledgeable and well-researched book about our new pope Leo XIV.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good introduction to Pope Leo XIV, this briefbook explores his background, his varied past roles within the church, and direct quotes from his early days as Pope, including his first papal homily.

[Marie Zahnle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Respectful portrait of a remarkable man.

[Valérie]

A useful introduction to the background and the ideology of the current pope, even if I would have enjoyed a more nuanced perspective from time to time, to better understand his personality.