This episode traces Robert Prevost's remarkable ascent through the Church hierarchy to his eventual election as Pope Leo XIV. Beginning with his historic role as the first American to lead the Augustinian Order, the episode examines how Prevost distinguished himself through collaborative leadership, formation initiatives, and centering perspectives from the Global South. His fateful appointment as Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops in 2023 positioned him to shape the Church's future through episcopal selections that emphasized pastoral experience and commitment to Pope Francis's priorities. Despite not following a traditional papal trajectory, Prevost emerged as a consensus candidate at the 2026 conclave following Pope Francis's death. The episode details his papal style—characterized by structural reforms alongside personal authenticity—and his distinctive vision for a more synodal, periphery-centered Church. Through initiatives like creating a Dicastery for Indigenous Peoples, expanding Synod voting rights to include women, and employing consultative approaches to controversial issues, Pope Leo XIV continued and evolved Francis's vision while ensuring its institutional embodiment. His integration of spiritual depth with practical action, global vision of Catholicism, and authentic humility—shaped by his missionary years in Peru—distinguish his papacy as he leads the Church through the challenges of the late 2020s.


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