In illo uno unum
In the one Christ we are one
Key Data
Voting Status:
Voting
Position:
Curial
Type:
Cardinal-Bishop
Titular Church:
Albano
Summary
Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, a former prefect of the influential Dicastery for Bishops, is a Chicago-born prelate with views close to Pope Francis who spent many years as a missionary in Peru before being elected head of the Augustinians for two consecutive terms.
Born on September 14, 1955, in Chicago, Illinois, Prevost entered the novitiate of the Order of Saint Augustine (OSA) in 1977 and made his solemn vows in 1981.
His educational background includes a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from Villanova University in 1977, a Master of Divinity from Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, and both a licentiate and doctorate in canon law from the Pontifical College of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome. His doctoral thesis was on âThe role of the local prior in the Order of Saint Augustine.â
His career in the Church has been marked by significant roles and achievements. After his ordination as a priest in 1982, Prevost joined the Augustinian mission in Peru in 1985 and served as chancellor of the Territorial Prélature of Chulucanas from 1985 to 1986.
He spent the year 1987 to 1988 in the United States as pastor for vocations and director of missions for the Augustinian Province of Chicago before returning to Peru where he spent the next ten years heading the Augustinian seminary in Trujillo and teaching canon law in the diocesan seminary, where he was also prefect of studies. He also served in other capacities there, including as a parish pastor, diocesan official, director of formation, seminary teacher, and judicial vicar.
In 1999, he returned to Chicago and was elected provincial prior of the âMother of Good Counselâ province in the archdiocese. Two and a half years later he was elected prior general of the Augustinian and served two terms until 2013.
In 2014, he returned to Peru when Pope Francis appointed him apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Chiclayo. He was elevated to Bishop of Chiclayo in 2015. While there, he also served as vice-president and member of the permanent council of the Peruvian Bishopsâ Conference from 2018 to 2023.
During that time, Peruâs bishops reportedly played an important role in ensuring institutional stability during the successive political crises that led to the overthrows of successive presidents.
In 2020 and 2021, Prevost served as apostolic administrator of Callao, Peru.
Pope Francis appointed Prevost prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops in January 2023, a powerful position responsible for selecting bishops, a position he held until Pope Francis died on April 21, 2025. On September 30, 2023, Pope Francis elevated Prevost to the rank of Cardinal.
During his first months as prefect, then-Archbishop Prevost continued to remain characteristically discreet in the media, but was reportedly appreciated for his ability to listen and his mastery of issues. Aleteia reported that a French bishop who met him two months after he took office praised his âjudicious questionsâ and his ability to synthesize, stressing that this first contact had left him with a âgood impression.â
On key topics, Cardinal Prevost says little but some of his positions are known. He is reportedly very close to Francisâ vision regarding the environment, outreach to the poor and migrants, and meeting people where they are. He said last year âthe bishop is not supposed to be a little prince sitting in his kingdom.â
He supported Pope Francisâ change in pastoral practice to allow divorced and civilly remarried Catholics to receive Holy Communion. Prevost appears somewhat less favorable to currying favor with the LGBTQ lobby than Francis, but he showed mild support for Fiducia Supplicans.1
Prevost has faced some controversy regarding clergy sexual abuse although he has been defended in both instances.2 The cardinalâs supporters stress his innocence and say the cases have been inaccurately and unfairly reported in the media.
The first case involves his handling of a sexual abuse case during his time as provincial of the Augustinian Province of Chicago (1999-2001), when a priest convicted of sexual abuse of minors was allowed to stay at an Augustinian priory near an elementary school and continue functions as a priest until later removed, and then laicized in 2012. However, Prevost is said to have never authorized that particular situation, the priest was not an Augustinian, and it took place before the .3
More recently, questions were raised about Prevostâs knowledge and handling of abuse allegations in his former Diocese of Chiclayo. Two priests were accused of molesting three young girls, with the allegations surfacing in April 2022 during Prevostâs tenure as bishop. The case has been a source of frustration for local Catholics due to its slow progress and unclear resolution.
Some accusers have claimed Prevost failed to properly investigate the allegations and covered up for the accused priest, but the diocese has firmly denied this, stating that Prevost followed proper procedures. They stated that Prevost personally received and attended to the victims, and reportedly opened an initial canonical investigation. He also encouraged the victims to take the case to the civil authorities. In July 2022, Prevost sent the results of the investigation to the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) for review. His supporters stress that he has documents from the DDF and the Papal Nunciature in Peru which also indicate that he was not only attentive to the presumed victims, but that he did all required in Church law in following procedures set out for these cases.4
However, in May 2025 allegations emerged that the diocese paid $150,000 to the three girls to silence them. Described as âlongtime public critics of Prevost,â the girls reportedly blame Prevost for covering up their sexual abuse by the priest.
The allegations, reported in InfoVaticana,described the Peruvian scandal, which was the subject of a national television report including an interview with the girls last fall, as the âstone in the shoe for Cardinal Prevost.â
Ahead of the 2025 Conclave, Cardinal Prevost was being promoted as a possible compromise candidate if leading candidates were unable to obtain enough votes. His lengthy missionary service in Peru allowed him to be seen as a more universal candidate than American which mitigated problems associated with choosing a pope from a superpower in his case.
However, there was speculation that he might be considered too young and too recently made a cardinal to be seriously considered papabile with any significant chance of being elected. Continued questions over his handling of sexual abuse have also cast a cloud over his prospects.
Cardinal Prevost is a member of seven Vatican dicasteries as well as the Commission for the Governance (Governatorato) of Vatican City State, indicating how much Pope Francis trusted the cardinal and valued his administrative abilities.
Where He Stands
Evidence
Cardinal Prevost on Ordaining Female Deacons
Against
During the Synod on Synodality in October 2023, Prevost stated that âclericalizing womenââthat is, ordaining them to clerical rolesâwould not solve the Churchâs problems and might even create new ones.
Evidence
Cardinal Prevost on Blessing Same-Sex Couples
Ambiguous
Although he expressed reservations about âsympathy for beliefs and practices that contradict the gospel,â Cardinal Prevost less clarity about Fiducia supplicans, stressing the need for national bishopsâ conferences to have doctrinal authority to interpret and apply such directives in their local contexts, given cultural differences. He therefore did not fully endorse nor reject the document.
Evidence
Unknown
We could not find any evidence of the cardinal addressing this issue.
Evidence
Unknown
We could not find any evidence of the cardinal addressing this issue.
Evidence
Unknown
We could not find any evidence of the cardinal addressing this issue.
Evidence
Cardinal Prevost on Promoting a âSynodal Churchâ
In Favor
Prevost is a strong supporter of synodality. He has been described as a âvocal proponentâ of Pope Francisâ emphasis on making the Churchâs structures more inclusive and participatory, seeing synodality as a way to address polarization within the Church. He connects synodality with the need for consultation and lay involvement.
Service to the Church
- Ordination to the Priesthood: 19 June 1982
- Ordination to the Episcopate: 12 December 2014
- Elevation to the College of Cardinals: 30 September 2023
Education
- 1977: Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from Villanova University
- 1982: Master of Divinity from Catholic Theological Union in Chicago
- 1984: Licentiate in Canon Law from Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum) in Rome
- 1987: Doctorate in Canon Law from Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum) in Rome
Assignments
- 1985-1986: Missionary work in Chulucanas, Peru
- 1988-1998: Various roles in Trujillo, Peru including community prior, formation director, and professor
- 1999-2001: Provincial of the Augustinian Province in Chicago
- 2001-2013: Prior General of the Order of Saint Augustine (two terms)
- 2014-2015: Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Chiclayo, Peru
- 2015-2023: Bishop of Chiclayo, Peru
- 2023-present: Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops
- 2023-present: President of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America
Memberships
- Dicastery for Clergy
- Dicastery for Evangelization
- Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith
- Dicastery for the Eastern Churches
- Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life
- Dicastery for Culture and Education
- Dicastery for Legislative Texts
- 2023: Commission for the Governance (Governatorato) of the Vatican City State
Photo: dpa picture alliance / Alamy