The first Pope from the United States is famous for his discretion here in the Vatican. He was in charge of one of the key dicasteries of the Holy See: the one that proposes future bishops, the future hierarchy of the Catholic Church, to the Pope.
He very rarely gave interviews and his public interventions were always very limited. On rare occasions, like this one, he made a statement. It was during the presentation of a documentary on the Vatican Swiss Guard, who will now be charged with protecting him.
P. ROBERT F. PREVOST, Then-Prefect, Dicastery for Bishops
First, I've only been working in the Vatican for about a year and a half. I have great appreciation for the respect, for the formation they (the Swiss guards) receive, for what their presence, especially as the guard of the Holy Father. Which gives great security on many levels for the tradition and their presence, and in every moment, in the Pope's travels, in the Pope's residence, in the Pope's movements.
Pope Leo XIV was born in Chicago, but his parents have European roots. He is an Augustinian and was prior of the Order, where he entered as a novice in 1977.
FR. ROBERT F. PREVOST, Then-Prior General, Order of St. Augustine
“God is not someone or something that is far way, and Augustine, in his spirituality and in his struggles, in his reflections that we see for example in the Confessions, is able to open a window, if you will, and to lead others to come to discover how God is working in their lives.”
He also has a doctorate in Canon Law but, above all, he is a missionary. He was bishop in Peru, which he recalled, speaking in Spanish during his greetings.
LEON XIV
And if I may also say a word, a greeting… to everyone, and in a particular way to my beloved diocese of Chiclayo in Peru.
The first North American Pope is 69 years old and brings a wealth of experience both as a missionary and someone who is extremely familiar with how the Vatican functions
