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New Pope: From Chicago to Chiclayo
May 11, 2025 · 21 min

In the news this week: Pope Leo XIV, or Papa León 14, has been selected to lead the Catholic Church and its 1.4 billion congregation worldwide. And on his first moment in a global spotlight, he chose to speak… Spanish. 

Robert Francis Prevost was born in Chicago but spent most of his life as a missionary and bishop in Peru, where he has citizenship. He’s the first-ever pope from the U.S. and the second from the Americas, which made him an unexpected choice. 

Chicago is claiming him, of course, but to Peruvians and Peruvian-Americans, he’s Peruvian. Period. Listen to the latest with reactions from our listeners. 

Latino USA is the longest-running news and culture radio program in the U.S., centering Latino stories and hosted by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Maria Hinojosa. 

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