New Pope’s Background Surprises Catholics

May 12th, 2025

Azzy Xiang

As the cardinals voted for the next pope, several members were in contention. Cardinal Pietro Parolin had run the Vatican under Pope Francis, but voters were divided over his lack of collaboration during his leadership. Cardinal Peter Erdo was backed by conservatives, but the electorate appointed by Francis had widely different ideologies. Last but not least, Cardinal Francis Prevost from America was a cardinal from both North and South America, interesting voters on both continents.

Prevost’s, or Pope Leo XIV’s, influence will be tremendous, given that an American has never been chosen pope and the nation has still been able to have such a huge sphere of influence over the world. His interaction with Catholic Vice President JD Vance will be a dynamic development, as in February, a social media account under his name had once even criticized the Vice President for his opinions.

Pope Leo XIV's rise was a surprise to many, since 133 men from 70 countries came to an agreement in 24 hours, despite the diversity of voters and previous taboo against an American pope because of the influence of the country. Many Catholics around the world did not expect the new Pope's success because other church officials had more experience, while Pope Leo XIV had only been a Cardinal for two years. But European cities in America are enthusiastic over the news, because the pope also has Haitian and Creole ancestors.

Pope Leo XIV's Bachelor of Science in Mathematics has created interest in his educational experience, since the image of a spiritual leader who solved calculus problems was contrasting to many. And although Catholics had been skeptical initially about his identity and background, his multicultural and multilingual identity has prevented them from categorizing him as a mere American. He also considers himself as Peruvian, and experts expect he may counter Trump's policies to some extent.