Pope Leo has been the pope for about a week. The 69-year-old, who became the first American to be elevated to the post, has already left his stamp on his papacy, carrying on the work of the late Pope Francis in his search for peace.
In early May, Robert Prevost became the first American to occupy the papacy. He adopted the name, which meant that 13 popes had previously shared it. According to Dennis Doyle, a theologian and emeritus professor of religious studies at the University of Dayton, a pope’s name represents “a certain spirit, direction, and vision of the new pope.” “The first thing that you would look for would be, which popes had that name before?” replied the pontiff. “That would signify something about the direction that the pope wants to take.”
When Leo XIV appeared on the balcony, he delivered a ceremonial speech to Catholics worldwide, opening with the words “Peace be with you.”
He went on to say, “Dear brothers and sisters, this is the first greeting of the resurrected Christ, the faithful shepherd who gave his life for God’s sheep. I want this peace greeting to reach your hearts, your families, and everyone on Earth.
“This is the peace of the Risen Christ, a disarming, meek, and enduring peace. It comes from God. God loves every one of us unconditionally. Let us remember Pope Francis’s feeble but always valiant voice as he blessed Rome and the globe on Easter morning.
Pope Leo also praised his “cardinal brothers” for electing him as pope. He sent a particular greeting to the Diocese of Chiclayo, Peru, where he served as bishop from 2014 to 2023. “To all the faithful present, as well as those who receive his benediction by radio, television, and other forms of communication. You may identify him in the same manner that the church does,” the Pope added.
“Let us hope that he’s preserved for a long time and ensures peace to the church throughout the world.
Each pope has their unique approach to the papacy. Within the Catholic Church, there are differing views on the path the church should pursue. Some feel that it should be progressive, introducing new reforms as society advances, while others believe it should be more conservative. Pope Leo is continuing the work of his predecessor, Pope Francis, who aimed to modernize the Catholic Church in certain respects. He wants to welcome the poor and disenfranchised, and Leo, like Francis, is vociferous about the issue of climate change.
In November 2024, Pope Leo addressed global warming in a Rome seminar aimed at “addressing the problems of the environmental crisis.”
The then-Cardinal said that it was time to go “from words to action.” Furthermore, Leo applauded the Vatican’s efforts to lessen its carbon impact by transitioning to electric cars and solar panels. Francis and Leo share a desire to modernize the Catholic Church, and it is not just about peace and climate change. He also encouraged Francis to bless same-sex couples and others in “irregular situations.” However, he felt that bishops should interpret it in accordance with local customs.
Pope Francis was likewise supportive of women joining the Dicastery for Bishops. In 2023, he told Vatican News that on various occasions, he had considered women’s “points of view as enrichment.”
Prior to becoming Pope, Leo served as President of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America and Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, where he oversaw the nomination of new bishops across the world. It might be difficult to keep track of who the cardinals are and where they come from. So, what’s Pope Leo’s background? One aspect of Pope Leo’s past has captivated the internet for a week: his intellectual background.
Prevost was born in Chicago, Illinois, on September 14, 1955, and grew up in the suburb of Dalton. Although little is known about his boyhood, in an interview with the Pope’s brother, John, he described it as “normal.” It appears that Pope Leo XIV had his life planned from an early age.
“I believe he knew he wanted to be a priest as early as first grade. Nobody questioned this. I believe our parents’ issue was whether you would be a diocesan priest and work in a parish or an order priest. Which he picked, Augustinian,” the Pope’s brother, John Prevost, explained.
Pope Leo opted to leave his regular upbringing behind and attend an Augustinian seminary.
“He went straight from high school seminary to Augustinian College at Villanova and then a year of theology. So he wasn’t home much, save for summer holidays,” the Pope’s brother explained, adding that, despite being the youngest, Leo was typically the one to offer advice. “It’s usually the other way around; he gives the advice to us.”
Prior to his election, Pope Leo XIV told the Italian network Rai that he grew up in an immigrant household.
“I was born in the USA…” My grandparents were all immigrants from France and Spain. “I was raised in a very Catholic family, and both of my parents were very active in the parish,” he explained.
Prevost possesses both American and Peruvian citizenship, which will have an impact on his ecclesiastical career. He made his vows in 1981 and studied in Rome. After that, a mission dispatched him to Peru, where he stayed for several years. In 2014, he was named Bishop of Chiclayo, Peru.
According to Rev. Fidel Purisaca Vigil, communications director for Prevost’s former diocese in Chiclayo, Pope Leo XIV was a calm and steady leader. After morning prayer, he would always sit down with his fellow priests for breakfast.
“No matter how many problems he has, he maintains good humor and joy,” said Rev. Fidel Purisaca Vigil to the Associated Press.
Reverend John Lyndon, Leo’s old roommate, has also spoken out about him. He lived with the Pope in Peru for a decade and told the BBC that he was an “outstanding” and “down-to-earth” person who enjoyed singing and cooking.
“Sometimes he would make pizza; back in those days you couldn’t get good pizza in Peru,” Rev. Lyndon told the BBC. “He was somebody you would sit down with and just talk and laugh,” she says. “He had an excellent singing voice as well.”
“We always had to block off a week for his birthday, which is in December, since every portion of the parish wanted to celebrate his birthday,” he added. “It’s a wonderful thing. I’m still processing it.”
Although Pope Leo committed his life to the Catholic Church, he had some background as a student. He reportedly speaks five languages and was an intellectually bright student at Villanova University, an Augustinian university in Pennsylvania. However, contrary to popular belief, he did not study theology or any subjects related to his life’s vocation. Pope Leo received his Bachelor of Science in Mathematics in 1977. He also studied philosophy, but the fact that he finished with a degree in mathematics stunned social media. According to the Daily Mail, social media site X has been bombarded with comments doubting the Pope’s academic credentials.
“The Pope being a math major means that he not only believes that Jesus multiplied bread and fish—he understands exactly how he did it,” one X user said, according to the Daily Mail.
Another user commented, “Possible career paths for a math major include quant, programmer, grad student… and pope,” while a third user remarked, “The new pope is from Chicago and has a math degree, which demonstrates that you can still achieve success in life even if you don’t pass the first-round interview at Jump.”
A fourth person remarked, “I just found out that the new pope studied math as an undergraduate, which makes me wonder how tough the job market is for technical roles right now,” while a fifth simply exclaimed, “HE’S A MATH MAJOR???”
Similarly to his predecessor, Pope Francis, Leo pushed for peace in his first act as Pope. He is currently focused on the war in Ukraine, as well as the confrontation between Gaza and Israel. On Sunday, Leo exhorted everyone to pursue peace from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican.
“I would also like to address the powerful people of the world,” Leo said to the crowd. “No more wars. The tragic Second World War ended 80 years ago. We are currently experiencing the agony of a third global war in fragments.
Pope Leo went on to say, “I bear in my heart the pain of the loving Ukrainian people. May everything be done to achieve genuine, sincere, and enduring peace as soon as possible. I hope for the release of all inmates. I hope that the children will return to their families soon.
“And I am deeply hurt by what is happening in the Gaza Strip,” the pontiff told reporters. “May there be a swift ceasefire. May humanitarian help reach the civilian population, and may all captives be released.”