How Robert Prevost, from the suburbs of Chicago, became Pope Leo XIV  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

July 05, 2025 THE COVER STORY What made the first American Pope? BY SAM JACOBS Editor in Chief, TIME Belinda Luscombe, who has been at TIME for three decades, is one of the great profile writers. When we want to understand how some of the world's most influential people became who they are—whether they are Melinda French Gates, Snoop Dogg, or MrBeast—we look to Luscombe.  So as we were trying to tell the story of Pope Leo XIV's roots, how exactly a devout boy who grew up in 1950s Chicago became the first American Pope—Luscombe naturally got the assignment. She visited Chicago and its suburbs early this summer to speak to Leo's brother, John, along with friends who knew the Pope from his childhood as well as early days in the priesthood, when he was known as Father Bob. "Robert Francis Prevost is not only the first Augustinian, the first modern missionary, and the first devotee of Peeps and Hostess Snoballs to occupy the Throne of St. Peter, he's also the first leader from a land where opportunism and entrepreneurship are admired only slightly less than the triune God," Luscombe writes. "America is not used to having a local guy as the driving force of an institution with four times as much history and an even greater capacity to inspire fear and awe. But a deep dive into Pope Leo's education and background shows that either by divine intervention, wise choices, luck, or all three, his path made him uniquely prepared for steering through the choppy waters facing the ancient denomination he now leads." Please read her story and let us know what you think. Sam@time.com. READ THE STORY » What I've been reading this week How Has The Climate Changed Since the First 4th of July? Human behavior in the past 249 years has swamped the forces that kept the planet cool. How the 'Big Beautiful Bill' Could Hit Maine's Reproductive Care Two groups that serve much of the patients in Maine's sexual and reproductive health care network could be affected. How Zohran Mamdani Plans to Fix New York City's Housing Crisis "This is a city that needs to be affordable for the people who build it every day," he said. The 4 Words That Drive Your Doctor Up the Wall And what they wish you'd say instead.   Want more from TIME? Sign up for our other newsletters.         Subscribe to TIME TIME may receive compensation for some links to products and services in this email. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Connect with TIME via Facebook | Twitter | Newsletters PRIVACY POLICY | YOUR CALIFORNIA PRIVACY RIGHTS Questions? Contact newsletters@time.com Update your email preferences or unsubscribe here © 2025 TIME USA, LLC. All rights reserved. TIME Customer Service, P.O. Box 37508 Boone, IA 50037-0508, United States of America Terms of Service