Pope Leo XIV
The Biography
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- $249.00
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- $249.00
Descripción editorial
A revealing biography featuring an exclusive first interview with the new Pope Leo XIV, written by one of the world's most respected Vatican correspondents
Who is Robert Prevost, the man who is now Leo XIV?
What personal traits led him to be chosen as pontiff at a time when the Catholic Church was debating whether to continue the legacy of Francis I or roll back the reforms advanced by him? How did he rise as pope in an overwhelmingly majority vote and what could it mean?
Elise Ann Allen, correspondent in Rome for Crux, the prestigious website specialising in Vatican news, outlines a detailed and intimate profile of the new pope. From his childhood in Chicago and his early vocation as an Augustinian to his years as a missionary in Peru and his key role in the Vatican as head of the bishops, Allen reveals the experiences that forged his character and established him as a spiritual leader and citizen of the world.
Including the first interview that Leo XIV officially granted as pope, this biography is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the new pope, his priorities, convictions and vision for the future of the Church.
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Allen (To Rome with the Homeless), a senior correspondent at Crux, draws from a wealth of interviews with Pope Leo XIV and his family members, friends, and colleagues for this laudatory biography. Born Robert Prevost in 1955 Chicago, he served as a missionary priest in 1980s and '90s Peru, where he navigated the country's tense and violent political climate by forging close relationships between the church and local community, spearheading anti-poverty efforts, and establishing new church roles for women. In 2001 he was elected prior general for the Augustinians and served 12 years in Rome before returning to Peru as Bishop of Chiclayo in 2015. His brief tenure as a cardinal began in 2023, and he rapidly racked up appointments to key Vatican organizations before being elected Pope after Francis's death in 2025. The book concludes with an extensive interview with Leo about his vision for the church, in which he suggests he plans to focus on poverty and interfaith outreach, while remaining aware of threats like AI and frictions within the church. While Allen's detailed portrait of Leo is rosy and mostly uncritical (he's depicted as a gentle, self-effacing inheritor of Francis's social justice–focused ethos), she does briefly address concerns about his handling of a sexual abuse case. This effusive portrait doesn't break much new ground, but there's enough here to please Leo's admirers.
