When he was elected last May at age 69, the former Robert Prevost was the youngest pope since 1978, when Karol Wojtyla was elected Pope John Paul II at age 58. Many people in the square knew it was Leo's birthday and wished him well, especially given the weight of responsibility he had taken on to run the Catholic Church.

Pope Leo XIV voiced concern over “some things” happening in the United States and revealed he turned down plans for an AI version of himself in his first major interview since his election.