5 Surprising Facts About Pope Leo on His 70th Birthday

September 14, 2025

Today, Pope Leo XIV—the 267th successor of St. Peter and the first American pope—turns 70. The world knows him as a spiritual leader, but behind his white cassock is a man with a colourful history full of faith, humility, and even a little humour. 

On his birthday, here are five surprising facts about him you probably didn’t know:

1. He "played priest" as a child. 

During his childhood, while his brothers played cops and robbers, little Robert Prevost (now Pope Leo XIV) would often set up an ironing board in his room as an altar and enact the role of a priest celebrating Holy Mass. He would hand out Necco wafers as Communion. His brothers fondly recall him playing this “priest game”.

2. He was an altar boy by age six. 

Pope Leo’s love for the Church started early. By the time he was six, he was serving at Mass daily as an altar boy and could already recite prayers in Latin. That early devotion set him firmly on the path to priesthood—and eventually, the papacy

3. He built the first website for his religious order. 

Long before popes had Twitter (or “X”) accounts, Father Prevost was pioneering digital outreach. He created the very first website for the Midwest Augustinian order, showing he had both a pastor’s heart and a knack for technology.

4. He fixed old cars to fundraise for his diocese. 

During his missionary years in Chiclayo, Peru, Pope Leo had a surprising side hustle: buying beat-up trucks, repairing them, and reselling them to raise money for his diocese. Parishioners remember his tireless efforts, joking that he did “more than the actual government” to transform the region.

5. His birthdays used to last a whole week. 

In Chiclayo, Pope Leo’s birthday wasn’t just a day—it was a weeklong festival. Each parish in the diocese baked him a cake, meaning he’d sometimes end up celebrating with dozens of desserts.

From “playing priest” as a boy to shepherding the universal Church as pope, Leo XIV’s story is one of humble beginnings, hard work, and surprising talents. Happy 70th, Holy Father!

Sources: ABC News, X account L’Osservatore Bobberto.