Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, 69, was elected the 267th pope of the Roman Catholic Church and has taken the name Pope Leo XIV. His election makes him the first American pontiff ever—an outcome Vatican watchers long considered a geopolitical longshot. But while Leo XIV’s passport once read “U.S.A.,” his résumé stretches far beyond the Windy City.

The election of Chicago-born Cardinal Robert Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, as the new pontiff has delighted Catholics and officials alike.