We love Pope Leo XIV! 💞
Pope Leo XIV will celebrate 100 days as pope on August 16, 2025.
In honor of this monumental day in the Catholic Church, let's look at 20 fascinating facts about Pope Leo that will make you love him even more!
1) Pope Leo XIV is the first American-born pope, hailing from Illinois.
He was born Robert Francis Prevost in Chicago, Illinois, on Sept. 14, 1955. He will turn 70 years old in a few weeks.
2) He has held Peruvian citizenship since 2015.
Having lived and ministered as a missionary in Peru for many years, Pope Leo XIV is the first U.S. and Peruvian national to become pope.
3) Pope Leo XIV is the first member of the Order of Saint Augustine (Augustinian) to become pope.
Since his election, he has publicly quoted Saint Augustine at least five distinct times in major speeches, homilies, and official messages.
4) His official motto is In Illo uno unum.
His official motto, In Illo uno unum, means “In the One, we are one,” emphasizing Christian unity, which is taken from the writings of Saint Augustine.
5) Pope Leo's papal coat of arms visually expresses his Augustinian heritage.
His papal coat of arms features a white lily and a heart pierced by an arrow (a reference to Saint Augustine’s conversion).
6) He was the prior general of the Augustinian order for 12 years.
Before his papal election, Pope Leo XIV served as prior general of the Augustinians worldwide for two six-year terms (2001–2013), overseeing thousands of friars globally.
7) Pope Leo XIV was a missionary bishop in Peru for more than 10 years.
Pope Leo XIV worked for over a decade as a missionary bishop in Chiclayo, Peru, where he was well-known for his dedication to the poor and his apostolic zeal.
8) In 2023, Pope Francis made him a cardinal and appointed him as head of the Dicastery for Bishops.
Pope Leo was appointed head of the Dicastery for Bishops in Rome in 2023 by Pope Francis and was made cardinal in September 2023. He was elected Pope less than two years later! On May 8, 2025, after just two days of voting, he became the 266th successor of Saint Peter.
9) Over 200,000 people attended Pope Leo's inauguration Mass.
At his inauguration Mass on May 18, 2025, in Saint Peter’s Square, over 200,000 people attended, including representatives from a wide range of world religions.
10) He prayed before Pope Francis's tomb and honored the Salus Populi Romani icon - some of his first acts as pope.
One of his first acts as pope was to pause in prayer before the tomb of Pope Francis and the revered icon of the Virgin Mary, Salus Populi Romani, at Saint Mary Major.
11) Pope Leo's first public words were, "Peace be with all of you!"
Pope Leo XIV delivered the message “Peace be with all of you!” as his first public words, pledging to foster unity in the Church and society.
12) His election was a surprise to many.
He surprised Vatican-watchers by being chosen pope, as he was relatively new as a cardinal and considered an outsider by many observers.
13) Pope Leo was raised in a multicultural family with French, Italian, Spanish, and Creole ancestral roots.
His father, Louis Marius Prevost, was of French and Italian descent and served as a school superintendent. His mother, Mildred Martínez, had Spanish and Creole ancestry and worked as a librarian deeply involved in parish activities.
Both earned graduate degrees in education from DePaul University and were highly committed to their faith and church community. Mildred came from a large family herself, raised with five sisters in the Seventh Ward of New Orleans, a historically Catholic and multicultural area.
14) Pope Leo has two older brothers.
He grew up with two older brothers, Louis Martin and John Joseph, in Dolton, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. The family attended St. Mary of the Assumption Parish for both church and school. His parents have already passed away: Mildred in 1991 and Louis Marius in 1997.
15) He attended both Villanova University and Rome's Angelicum.
He received his degree in mathematics at Villanova University, later studying philosophy and theology in the U.S. and canon law at Rome’s Angelicum, also known as the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas.
16) His brothers said he "played priest" as a child, and his neighbor predicted he would be the first American pope.
His brothers have spoken publicly about their immense pride in their sibling’s vocation and papal election, recalling how, as children, he "played priest" and their neighbor predicted he’d be the first American pope.
17) Pope Leo attended Sunday Mass with his parents and served as an altar boy.
Pope Leo attended Mass every day and began serving as an altar boy around age six, a role he grew to love.
18) He describes Jesus as "the best friend of all" and revealed that his parents prayed the Rosary together daily.
He often described Jesus as "the best friend of all" and said his parents "prayed the rosary together their whole lives. Every day."
19) Pope Leo's hometown purchased his childhood home. It will become a historic site.
In 2025, his hometown of Dolton, Illinois, purchased Pope Leo XIV’s childhood home, which will become a historic site.
20) Pope Leo is a huge fan of the Chicago White Sox.
Pope Leo's brother, John Prevost, confirmed that the pope is a Chicago White Sox fan. The pope (then-Father Robert Prevost) attended the 2005 World Series against the Houston Astros.