Pope Leo XIV, born Robert Francis Prevost in Chicago, is drawing internet attention not just for being the first American pope, but for his unexpected background: he holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Villanova University (1977).
Nicknamed the “Latin Yankee” by the Italian press, Leo XIV speaks five languages, spent years working in Latin America and Europe, and reportedly watched the thriller Conclave just before the real event.
Online users reacted humorously to his math degree, joking about him solving biblical miracles with equations and comparing his career path to that of a tech worker. One tweet read, “HE’S A MATH MAJOR???”
His brother Louis recalled teasing him as a child, saying, “You’re going to be pope someday, you’re too holy!”
Now, as the spiritual leader of 1.3 billion Catholics, Pope Leo will receive traditional papal regalia, including the Fisherman’s Ring (worth $520,000), custom pectoral crosses, and a vestment called the pallium.
One of his crosses contains relics of three saints important to the Augustinians—St. Augustine, St. Monica, and St. Thomas of Villanova—reflecting his deep roots in the order.
