Robert Francis Prevost has become the 267th person to become Pope. He will be known as Pope Leo XIV.
According to Dennis Doyle, a theologian and professor emeritus of religious studies at the University of Dayton, a pope’s name indicates “a certain spirit and direction and vision of the new pope.”
“The first thing that you would look for would be, which popes had that name before?” he said. “That would signify something about the direction that the pope wants to take.”
Pope Leo XIV started his speech as the head of the Catholic Church with the words: “Peace be with you.”
He continued: “Dearest brothers and sisters, this was the first greeting of the risen Christ, the good shepherd who gave his life for the flock of God. I, too, would like this greeting of peace to enter your hearts, to reach your families and all people, wherever they are; and all the peoples, and all the earth: Peace be with you.
“This is the peace of the Risen Christ, a disarming and humble and preserving peace. It comes from God. God, who loves all of us, without any limits or conditions. Let us keep in our ears the weak but always brave voice of Pope Francis, who blessed Rome – the Pope who blessed Rome and the world that day on the morning of Easter.”
When it comes to his views on what direction the church should move on, Pope Leo shares late Pope Francis’ stance. He, just like Francis, yearns for embracing the poor and marginalized, and is vocal about the threat the climate changes imposes on the human kind.
While serving as a cardinal, Leo addressed the problems of the environmental crisis at a Rome seminar, ABC reported.
Before becoming Pope, Leo served as a President of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America and as prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops.
Leo was born in Chicago, making him the first pope of the US.
“I was born in the United States… But my grandparents were all immigrants, French, Spanish… I was raised in a very Catholic family, both of my parents were very engaged in the parish,” he said.
He also holds Peruvian citizenship.
What surprised many is that Pope Leo holds an academic degree. And while many expect it to be one in theology perhaps, that is not the case.
What’s more, Pope Leo’s degree isn’t related to theology at all.
In fact, Leo graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics in 1977.
That many were stunned by this discovery speaks the fact that the Internet was flooded with comments over Pope Leo’s degree.
“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 user wrote on X, per the Daily Mail.
Another wrote, “Math major possible career paths: quant, programmer, grad student… pope,” while a third added, “The new Pope is from Chicago and has a math degree, which goes to show you can still make a success of your life even if you don’t pass the first-round interview at Jump.”
A fourth person commented, “Just found out the new pope studied math at undergrad in case you’re wondering how tough the job market is for technical roles right now,” and a fifth simply asked, “HE’S A MATH MAJOR???”
On Sunday, Pope Leo called for peace from the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican.
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