Pope Leo XIV: The Unknown Aspects – Dual Citizenship, Mathematics, and Love for Tennis

Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost is now the 14th Pope and has made an impression from the start with his humility and message of peace to Catholics worldwide. Pope Leo XIV is the first Pope from the USA and is seen as the man who will bring American Catholics closer to the Vatican. The 69-year-old from Chicago is known as a religious leader with global experience. He spent much of his career as a missionary in South America and recently led a powerful Vatican office responsible for appointing bishops. His election represents the continuation of Pope Francis’s work. According to CNN, the first American Pope has ten unique characteristics that make him suitable for the position. Despite being born in Chicago, Prevost was considered ‘less American’ among U.S. cardinals due to his extensive work in Peru, where he learned fluent Spanish and Italian. Pope Francis respected him greatly, appointing him to lead the Episcopal Court and the Papal Commission for Latin America. Pope Leo XIV is a member of the Augustinian Order and emphasizes his missionary calling. With dual citizenship from the U.S. and Peru, his choice of the name ‘Leo’ reflects his commitment to the poor, echoing Pope Leo XIII’s legacy. A graduate in mathematics from Villanova University, he also enjoys tennis and looks forward to playing again after years away from the court.