From baseball to ceviche: curiosities about the new Pope Leo XIV

Below, discover some facts about the life of the new pontiff, born in the United States in 1955 and naturalized Peruvian in 2015.

1. Baseball

Robert Francis Prevost is a White Sox fan, not a Cubs fan, who lives in his hometown of Chicago. The question was settled minutes after the "Habemus papam" was announced. "He's always been a White Sox fan," his brother John Prevost told WGN after the rival team announced on the giant screen at Wrigley Field that "he's a Cubs fan." This is a subject that does not allow for confusion. The prayers of the new pope could help the White Sox, who have not won a World Series since 2005.

2. Football and tennis

The Peruvian national football team is now appealing to the Pope for divine intervention to ensure its nearly impossible qualification for the 2026 World Cup. "Faith has a new captain and he has Peruvian nationality," wrote the Peruvian Federation, which also needs a miracle.

Leo XIV worked as a missionary in Peru for decades and, according to the local press, is a fan of Alianza Lima. His predecessor, Francisco, was also passionate about football.

The new pope is also an avid tennis player. “Since I left Peru, I have had very few opportunities to train, so I am looking forward to getting back on the courts,” he said in a 2023 interview with the Augustinian Order.

3. Love for Peru

Prevost joined the Augustinians in Peru in 1985 for the first mission in the Andean country.

He lived in Peru for almost 20 years, during which time he fell in love with Peruvian cuisine.

"He loved goat meat, rice with duck and ceviche; they were his favorite dishes," said Edison Farfán, bishop of Chiclayo, of which Prevost was archbishop emeritus.

In his first address to thousands of faithful at the Vatican, Leo XIV spoke briefly in fluent Spanish. He did not speak in English. He recalled the "faithful people" of Chiclayo who gave "so much" to "continue to be a faithful Church."

The new Pope was "very happy in Peru", as he declared in an interview with the Augustinian Order, recalling the moment when Francis asked him to move to Rome and take on an important role.

4. Gardener

Prevost was born in 1955 in Chicago and studied at Villanova University in the late 1970s in an Augustinian seminary, before graduating with a degree in mathematics in Philadelphia.

"When I was in college, I had a small side job: I was a gardener at one of the parishes," said the archbishop of that city, Nelson J. Pérez, surprised by the choice.

"Isn't it an extraordinary story? The Pope worked here," he added, smiling.

5. Pope of the networks

From criticizing Vice President JD Vance to his stance against the death penalty, Leo XIV arrives at the Chair of St. Peter with a long social media history that friends and foes alike will be scrutinizing.

He opened an account on X 14 years ago, during which time he published more than 400 messages, in which he expressed opinions on a wide range of sensitive topics: racism, sexual abuse by clergy, the Covid-19 pandemic, the murder of George Floyd by US police and the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

In 2017, he shared an opinion piece stating that the United States was living in "a dark time" and, more recently, he attacked Vance's vision of prioritizing fellow Americans over immigrants.

"JD Vance is wrong: Jesus doesn't ask us to rate our love for others," he posted.

President Donald Trump celebrated his election, but his far-right supporters were quick to label the new pope a "Marxist and a 'woke'," a term used to criticize people aligned with left-wing causes.