The eyes of the world turned its gaze toward the central balcony of Saint Peter’s Basilica on Thursday (early Friday morning in the Philippines) as Pope Leo XIV appeared for the first time as the 267th Supreme Pontiff of the Catholic Church.  

Here are 10 things you should know about the 69-year-old leader of the 1.4 billion Catholics across the world.  

1. The first Augustinian pope 

Pope Leo XIV is a member of the Order of Saint Augustine, a religious order founded in the 13th century with focus on charity and mission work.

The newly-elected pope emphasized this in his first introduction to the world, saying: "I am a son of Saint Augustine, an Augustinian, who said, 'with you I am a Christian and for you a bishop.' In this sense we can all walk together towards that homeland that God has prepared for us." 

Before becoming the pope, he served the Prior General of the order for two terms.  

His episcopal motto are the words uttered by Saint Augustine in a sermon on Psalm 127: "In Illo uno unum" (Although we Christians are many, in the one Christ we are one.) 

The Augustinians were the first missionaries to arrive in the Philippines. 

2. American-Peruvian 

The new pope is the first from the United States. However, he also holds a Peruvian citizenship, which was granted to him in 2015. 

Born in Chicago, Illinois, the pope's father is of French and Italian descent while his mother is Spanish. 

His first assignment as a missionary was in Chulucanas in Piura, Peru — the starting point of his years of service in the country. 

In 2014, Pope Francis appointed him apostolic administrator of Chiclayo. The following year, he officially took the helm of the diocese. 

But the then Bishop Prevost would have to leave Peru in 2023 after Pope Francis tasked him to work in Rome as the prefect of the Dicastery of Bishops and president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America. 

Pope Leo XIV made sure to highlight his years of work in Peru during his first appearance as pontiff. Speaking in Spanish, he greeted his former diocese before imparting his very first apostolic blessing "urbi et orbi" (to the city and to the world). 

3. Missionary 

True to the Augustinian spirit, the new pope remains dedicated to being a missionary.  

"I still consider myself a missionary. My vocation, like that of every Christian, is to be a missionary, to proclaim the gospel wherever one is," he said in an interview with Vatican News after his appointment as prefect of the Dicastery of Bishops.  

Pope Francis took note of this missionary spirit.

The United States' conference of bishops reported that in one of his talks in Chicago, then Cardinal Prevost shared that Pope Francis chose him to lead the Vatican department for bishops because the late pope did not want someone from the Roman Curia and that he wanted a missionary that would provide an outsider perspective.  

4. Highly regarded by Pope Francis 

Pope Francis created Prevost a cardinal in 2023, assigning him the rank of cardinal deacon.  

But barely three years as one of the "princes of the Church," he was promoted by the pope to the rank of cardinal bishop in February 2025 — one of the late pontiff’s last acts before his hospitalization. 

The Vatican department assigned to the future pope is very influential, as it oversees the appointment of bishops all over the world. 

Pope Francis also appointed him as member of several other dicasteries. 

Incidentally, Prevost’s middle name is Francis. 

5. Champion of the poor 

Taking a cue from his choice of papal name and his track record as a missionary in Peru, Pope Leo XIV is expected to continue the Church's emphasis in caring for the poor.  

Vatican spokesperson Matteo Bruni confirmed that the new pope's choice of name was a reference to Leo XIII, considered the father of Church's social teachings.  

The 19th century pope's encyclical "Rerum Novarum" championed the rights of workers amid the industrial revolution that swept the Western world during that period.   

6. An intellectual giant 

The new pope possesses an impressive academic record. He earned a degree in mathematics at Villanova University in Pennsylvania, where he also studied philosophy.  

He then received his licentiate and doctorate in Canon Law from the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas in Rome, where his predecessor and fellow intellectual giant John Paul II studied.  

Pope Leo XIV also speaks several languages, including Italian, Spanish, and English. 

7. First to own a personal social media account 

Previous popes Benedict XVI and Francis used the official X (formerly Twitter) account under the username @pontifex.  

When Benedict XVI resigned, the account was transferred to Francis. Pope Leo XIV is expected to also inherit the same account.  

But since 2011, the newly-appointed pope has been using a personal X account, where he shared updates about the Catholic Church and the popes. His reposts also show a glimpse of his opinions on some social issues, including immigration and geopolitical tensions.  

Neither of his predecessors managed their own personal social media account.  

Prior to his election to the papacy, the X account had over 100,000 followers.  

It is not clear yet whether Pope Leo XIV would continue using his personal social media account.  

His X account’s bio describes him as "Catolico, Agustino, Obispo" (Catholic, Augustinian, Bishop).  

8. Tennis fan 

In an interview with the Augustinian Order, the then prefect of the Dicastery of Bishops revealed that among the simple things he loves are reading, long walks, long chats with friends, and tennis.  

The new pope said he considers himself as an "amateur tennis player."  

"I consider myself quite the amateur tennis player. Since leaving Peru I have had few occasions to practice so I am looking forward to getting back on the court," he said.  

9. White Sox fan 

Immediately, as soon as the world learned that the new pope was born in Chicago, a debate ensued on whether he is a fan of the White Sox or the Cubs.  

But in an interview with CBS News Chicago, the pope's younger sibling John Prevost clarified that his brother has been a White Sox fan since they were altar boys in Dolton. 

10. A connection with the Philippines 

Pope Leo XIV has visited the Asian country several times as Rev. Fr. Robert Francis Prevost, OSA.  

He celebrated a Holy Mass at the San Agustin Church in Intramuros and visited the Basilica Minore of Santo Niño in Cebu.  

Prior to working together in the Vatican, the future pope also met Philippines' Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle during the blessing of Postulancy Building in Manila back in 2013.  

Several Filipino priests who met the future pope immediately shared photos on social media, describing him as a humble and caring man.