Spiritual leader of the Roman Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City State. Born in Chicago, Prevost became a friar in the Order of Saint Augustine in 1977 and was ordained as a priest in 1982. He is the first American pontiff in the history of the Catholic Church.

DS - Document Signed: Thirteen-page exhortation in booklet form with yellow and white silk cords, signed on the last page by Leo. Also bears the official blind embossed papal seal. The book was presented in semi-private audience in March 2026 to the president of a European country (more particulars upon request).  Booklet near mint and highly desirable.

 Robert Prevost earned a Doctor of Canon Law degree in 1987 from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome. He performed extensive missionary work in Peru in the 1980s and 1990s, working as a parish pastor, diocesan official, seminary teacher, and administrator. Elected prior general of the Order of Saint Augustine, he was based in Rome from 2001 to 2013, though traveled extensively. He then returned to Peru as Bishop of Chiclayo from 2015 to 2023, and became a Peruvian citizen. In 2023, Pope Francis appointed him prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops in Rome, and president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America. Upon his return to Rome, Prevost was made a cardinal.

As a cardinal, Prevost emphasized synodality, missionary dialogue, and engagement with social and technological challenges; he has also addressed climate change, international migration, church governance, and human rights. Prevost's election in the 2025 conclave was unexpected by observers, as he was considered a dark horse candidate. He is the first pope to have been born in the United States, and the first to be a citizen of Peru. He is also the first pope from the Order of Saint Augustine. Following the precedent of Pope Leo XIII, who developed modern Catholic social teaching amid the tumult of the Second Industrial Revolution, Prevost chose the papal name Leo XIV—both to echo Leo XIII's concern for workers and fairness, and as a response to the challenges of a new industrial revolution and artificial intelligence.

As pope, Leo has consistently opposed armed conflict and nationalism while advocating for the rights of immigrants. He has introduced new warnings about the use of artificial intelligence technology. Leo has affirmed the teachings of his predecessors, including social teachings and the climate policy of Pope Francis. He has consistently pointed to the teachings of the Second Vatican Council as the "guiding star" of the church. In 2026, he confronted the second Écône consecrations, which resulted in renewed excommunications and schism with the Society of St. Pius X.

A true investment-grade collectible.