General Discussion

Robert Francis Prevost OSA (born September 14, 1955) is an American Catholic prelate who has served as prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops and president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America since 2023. He previously served as Bishop of Chiclayo in Peru from 2015 to 2023, and was prior general of the Order of Saint Augustine from 2001 to 2013. In 2015 Cardinal Prevost became a naturalized citizen of Peru as confirmed by Peru's National Civil Registry.

Born in Chicago, Prevost spent the early part of his career there working for the Augustinians. He served in Peru from 1985 to 1986 and from 1988 to 1998 as a parish pastor, diocesan official, seminary teacher and administrator. He was made a cardinal in 2023.

In 2023, Pope Francis appointed Prevost as Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, a prominent role that has elevated his profile as a potential papal candidate. Since Francis's death, Prevost has been called papabile, a leading candidate for election as pope during the 2025 papal conclave...