HR0327LRB104 13556 MST 26071 r

1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of 
3Representatives wish to congratulate Pope Leo XIV on being 
4elected the first American pope in the 2,000-year history of 
5the Catholic Church; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Pope Leo XIV, formerly Cardinal Robert Prevost, 
7was born to Louis Marius Prevost and Mildred Martínez at 
8Chicago's Mercy Hospital in 1955; he has two brothers, Louis 
9Martín and John Joseph; and
 
10    WHEREAS, Pope Leo XIV graduated from Villanova University 
11in Pennsylvania with a degree in mathematics and then studied 
12theology at the Catholic Theological Union of Chicago; and
 
13    WHEREAS, Pope Leo XIV was sent to Rome to study Canon Law 
14at the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas 
15(Angelicum) at the age of 27 and was ordained as a priest in 
161982; and
 
17    WHEREAS, Pope Leo XIV then went to work as a missionary in 
18Peru; he returned to the U.S. for a few years and then returned 
19to Peru, where he ran an Augustinian seminary in Trujillo; and
 
20    WHEREAS, Pope Leo XIV was appointed apostolic 
 
 
HR0327- 2 -LRB104 13556 MST 26071 r

1administrator of the Diocese of Chiclayo in Peru in 2014 by 
2Pope Francis, and one year later, he became a bishop; and
 
3    WHEREAS, Pope Leo XIV became a cardinal in 2023, and on 
4February 6, 2025, he was promoted to his most recent position 
5with the Order of Bishops; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Pope Leo XIV's first words as pope were, "Peace 
7be with you."; therefore, be it
 
8    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE 
9HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that 
10we congratulate Pope Leo XIV on being elected the first 
11American pope in the 2,000-year history of the Catholic 
12Church.