Robert Francis Prevost, who was elected the 267th pope of the Roman Catholic Church on Thursday and took the name Pope Leo XIV, is the first pope from the United States. He defied the conventional wisdom before the conclave that any American would be a long shot to become pontiff.

Despite his American roots, the Chicago-born polyglot, 69, is viewed as a churchman who transcends borders. He served for two decades in Peru, where he became a bishop and a naturalized citizen, then rose to lead his international religious order. Until the death of Pope Francis, he held one of the most influential Vatican posts, running the office that selects and manages bishops globally.

A member of the Order of St. Augustine, he resembles Francis in his commitment to the poor and migrants and to meeting people where they are. He told the Vatican’s official news website last year that “the bishop is not supposed to be a little prince sitting in his kingdom.”