The recent election of Pope Leo XIV, born Robert Francis Prevost in Chicago, has sparked online buzz—not because of his age or background, but because of his unexpected academic past.

Before his rise in the Catholic Church, Leo XIV earned a mathematics degree from Villanova University in 1977. “HE’S A MATH MAJOR???” exclaimed one user on X (formerly Twitter). Another joked, “The Pope being a math major means that he not only believes that Jesus multiplied bread and fish – he understands exactly how he did it.”

Nicknamed the “Latin Yankee” by Italian media, the 69-year-old Pontiff blends tradition with modernity. He’s served across Latin America and Europe, speaks five languages, and even watched the 2024 thriller Conclave just before the real-life event unfolded.