# Election of Pope Leo XIV (2025)

URL: https://christianity-history.com/timeline/2025-election-of-pope-leo-xiv
Location: Vatican City
Themes: Papacy

Robert Francis Prevost becomes the first pope from the United States. At this point in the timeline (8 May 2025), the Bishop of Rome was Pope Leo XIV (8 May 2025 – present).

## Why it matters
Election of Pope Leo XIV mattered because it shaped the authority, policy or public role of the papacy and the Catholic Church.

Pope at the time: [Pope Leo XIV](https://christianity-history.com/popes/pope-leo-xiv)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — Pope Leo XIV](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Leo_XIV)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Election of Pope Leo XIV](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Election+of+Pope+Leo+XIV)
- [Wikipedia — Modern Era (period overview)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianity_in_the_20th_century)