Pope Leo XIV

Inside the case file

Meet the first pope ever born in the United States. This printable Pope Leo XIV Reading Mystery turns a nonfiction passage about Robert Prevost — the Chicago-born missionary who became Pope Leo XIV — into a reading-detective investigation for Grades 3–6 classroom teachers, homeschoolers, and tutors. It drops straight into a current-events, Catholic-studies, or nonfiction reading lesson and gives students a real reason to read closely.

Reading is the whole game here: students use text evidence to cross off suspects one at a time until the culprit is cornered. No apps, no laminating, no prep.

Quick Details

Grade Levels: Grades 3–6 (best for Grades 3–5)
Format: Printable PDF
Resource Type: Reading Mystery worksheets
Reading Skills: Nonfiction comprehension, text evidence, main idea, sequencing, and inference
Tech Needed: None — no apps, locks, passwords, or student logins required

The Case

A sacred artifact, treasured for its deep spiritual significance, has vanished from the Vatican — and no one knows who is responsible. Investigators have rounded up a line-up of suspects, but it's up to your students to uncover the truth and track down the culprit. The only way to crack the case is to read closely: every comprehension answer is a clue that rules another suspect out, until just one remains.

How the Reading Mystery Works

As Reading Detectives, students read about Pope Leo XIV and eliminate a suspect with each comprehension answer until one is left standing — the text holds every clue.

What's Included

• A "You are a detective" case-file page that sets the scene and the mission
• An engaging 2-page nonfiction passage on Pope Leo XIV (his childhood in Chicago, his missionary work in Peru, and his historic 2025 election)
• 3 pages of multiple-choice comprehension questions (all answers found in the text)
• A suspect line-up page for eliminating suspects one clue at a time
• Extension activities for early finishers, including a word find
• A full answer key
• Color and black-and-white versions
• Print-and-go PDF format

Skills Covered

• Reading and understanding nonfiction informational text
• Finding and using text evidence
• Identifying main idea and supporting details
• Sequencing key events and drawing inferences
• Vocabulary in context
• Logic, reasoning, and critical thinking

Best Used For

• Nonfiction reading comprehension practice
• Current events and Catholic / faith-based studies
• Reading centers, early finishers, sub plans, small groups, and intervention
• Homeschool reading