Pope Leo's 1st year: 12 Unique Facts, Firsts & Favorite Things

It’s been a full 12 months since Pope Leo XIV first stepped out from the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica to greet the world as the 267th Vicar of Christ. And it’s certainly been an eventful year for our Holy Father–– presiding over the many celebrations in the Jubilee Year of Hope, steadfast teachings that revealed Jesus to the world, and giving us a peek at some little things that personally bring him joy.

Last year, the Catholic world buzzed about the pope who plays Wordle. Does Pope Leo still play this popular game? What special pilgrimages has he made, where exactly does he live, and does he watch movies? Here’s the latest on these, plus more unique firsts, favorite things, and facts, to celebrate one full year with Pope Leo XIV!

1. His first trip outside the Vatican was a Marian pilgrimage

Image Credit: CNS photo/Vatican Media via OSV News

A good son leans on his mother for wisdom. In his first pilgrimage two days after his election, Pope Leo traveled to the Shrine of the Mother of Good Counsel 30 miles southeast of Rome, which has belonged to his religious order, the Augustinians, since the mid-1300’s. In the shrine’s book of intentions, he wrote: 

“[Our Lady of Good Counsel] throughout my life has accompanied me with her maternal presence, with her wisdom, and with the example of her love for the Son, who is always the center of my faith—the way, the truth, and the life. Thank you, Mother, for your help—accompany me in this new mission.”

Later the same day, Pope Leo visited another important Marian sanctuary located slightly closer to his new Vatican city home. At the Basilica of St. Mary Major, Pope Leo XIV prayed before the tomb of his predecessor, Pope Francis.

"As the Mother never abandons her children, you must also be faithful to the Mother.” 

2. Pope Leo’s Bedroom Just Received A Makeover

Image Credit: Vatican Media/Francesco Sforza/­Handout via REUTERS

Pope Leo finally moved into his residence in the Apostolic Palace this past spring, 10 months after his election. In the interim it was getting a major makeover: these rooms date back to the 15th-century, although they’ve been renovated several times since. The last pope to reside there was Pope Benedict XVI (Pope Francis chose simpler accommodations in the Casa Santa Marta guesthouse), who reported a leaky roof and outdated electrical system. According to Aleteia, the view from the pope’s private rooms encloses him in his own little monastery, overlooking the inner courtyard of the palace rather than the city at large. 

3. A Sweet Tooth for American Marshmallow Candy 

Image Credit: Alessandra Tarantino at MSN

The delightfully fluffy marshmallow candies found in U.S. grocery stores in all sorts of Easter pastel colors are Pope Leo’s favorite sweet treat. As his brother John shared with Aleteia, marshmallow peeps candies are the Pope’s “favorite candy on earth.” Many pilgrims have delighted the Holy Father with gifts related to this candy at papal audiences in recent months, including a large hand-crocheted stuffie of a peeps-style yellow chick wearing a mitre and affectionately coined the “Pope Peep.”  

4. He’s The First Pope To Visit This Country 

Pope Leo XIV’s first international trip this past April made a papal record with his stop in Algeria. Although only 1% Catholic, Algeria is the largest country in Africa. Here, St. Augustine––the Early Church bishop, “Doctor of Grace,” and Pope Leo’s own spiritual father––lived and died in the early fifth century. This country was a significant stop on the pontiff’s itinerary.

“As early as last May, I had said that on my first journey, I would like to visit Africa. Several people immediately suggested Algeria because of St. Augustine.”

While visiting Algeria, the pope prayed at the archeological ruins of Hippo where St. Augustine lived and celebrated Mass at the basilica dedicated to the saint. 

“As you know, I come to Algeria with great joy because it is also the land of my spiritual father, Saint Augustine. He sought to teach the world so many things, above all through the search for truth, the search for God, recognizing the dignity of every human being, and the importance of building peace.”

5. New Record Unlocked: Canonizing the First Millennial Saint

Image credit: Vatican Media via Zenit

September held a strong saintly start for this successor of St. Peter: his first canonization Mass honored two beloved Italian saints of the twentieth century, one of whom is the first millennial saint. 80,000 people filled St. Peter’s Square on September 7, 2025 to celebrate the sainthood of Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati.

“Dear friends, Saints Pier Giorgio Frassati and Carlo Acutis are an invitation to all of us, especially young people, not to squander our lives, but to direct them upwards and make them masterpieces.” (Canonization Mass homily)

6. Tuesday is a Papal Vacay

Tuesdays are the new Saturdays for recent successors of St. Peter. It’s the pope’s traditional day for time off, as his schedule is free of public engagements. Tuesdays found St. John Paul II taking off for the mountains, Pope Benedict XVI with theological reading in hand, and now, Pope Leo XVI heading to Castel Gandolfo for a breather in the beautiful outdoors. What’s a typical Tuesday in the countryside for our current Holy Father? “A little reading, a little work. Every day there is correspondence, phone calls; there are some matters that are perhaps more important, more recent. A little tennis, a little swimming,” he shared. Although important matters don’t slow down entirely on his day off, it’s Pope Leo’s chance to sneak in some valued rest and his favorite sports.

“Every human being, in order to take good care of themselves, should engage in activities for both the body and the soul. So it’s a time, a break during the week, that helps a lot,” the pope observed.

7. He Made A Recent Saint “Doctor of the Church”

Image credit: Vatican Media via CatholicOutlook

To celebrate his first All Saints Day, Pope Leo XIV gave us a new Doctor of the Church. On November 1st, at a special Mass in St. Peter’s Square, the pope designated St. John Henry Newman as the 38th saint honored in this way. An Anglican convert, theologian, and proponent for Catholic education, Newman contributed to Catholic doctrine with more than 20,000 letters and 40 books. He is the second-most-recent Doctor of the Church; St. Thérèse of Lisieux received the same honor and was a contemporary of Newman, dying seven years after him.

8. Papal Popcorn For Popular Titles: Pope Leo’s Favorite Movies

Image credit: Aleteia

What do Julie Andrews, Jimmy Stewart, and a Jewish-Italian war story all have in common? They’re found in movies Pope Leo loves! Last November, the Holy Father shared his top four favorite films in advance of his special Jubilee year audience with actors and cinema directors from the world over. 

His Holiness’ list? The now-beloved Christmas classic It’s a Wonderful Life (1946), Robert Wise’s musical delight The Sound of Music (1965), Robert Redford’s inspiring and poignant Ordinary People (1980), and Roberto Benigni’s charming Italian comedy-drama Life Is Beautiful (1997)!

“Cinema is a workshop of hope, a place where people can once again find themselves and their purpose.”

9. He Still Plays "Wordle" and "Words with Friends"

Yes, he does! Several months after Pope Leo’s election, his brother John shared that the two do indeed still play Wordle and Words with Friends together. In a virtual live Q&A session, the Pope divulged his secret to attendees of the 2025 National Catholic Youth Conference in Indianapolis: 

“I use a different word for Wordle every day, so there’s no set starting word.” (AP News)

Clearly, there’s room for preaching the Word of God and keeping up with the latest word games in the contemporary world, even as Pontiff.

10. Special Delivery! Poperoni ™ Pizza

Image Credit: EWTN, Madeline Daley

Ever since he was a little boy known to all as Robert Prevost, Pope Leo XIV has been a fan of pizza from Aurelio’s, a chain located around Chicago’s suburbs. His brother John revealed that the pope’s favorite topping is pepperoni, and the Chicago pizza parlor confirmed this when they added “Poperoni™ Pizza”––pepperoni with some added flair––to their menu soon after his election.

In July, two Catholic influencers teamed up to bring Pope Leo a slice of home––a personal-sized pepperoni pizza pie carefully transported over 5,000 miles from Chicago to him. The smile on the pontiff’s face said it all as he noticed the sign, “We have Aurelio’s pizza,” and waited for the box to be brought to him. Report has it that he enjoyed the tasty gift.

11. His One Year Anniversary To Start at a Marian Site

Image Credit: CNS photo/Vatican Media via Catholic Review

Pope Leo XIV’s election greeting to the Church called upon the Blessed Mother: the first moments of his one-year-anniversary will, too. May 8th, the anniversary of his election to the papacy, is also the feast day of Our Lady of Pompeii, and on that day this year, he will offer a public papal Mass at the Pontifical Shrine of the Blessed Virgin of the Rosary of Pompeii. The shrine was built by St. Bartolo Longo, a former-satanic-priest-turned-profound-Marian-devotee who was canonized by Pope Leo last October.

12. His Favorite Book Was Written By A Lowly Carmelite Friar

In December, Pope Leo shared that his favorite book, the one that most reveals who he is, is a spiritual classic from the 1600’s. The Practice of the Presence of God was written by the humble French Carmelite Brother Lawrence and is a simple book that shares the secret to closeness with God.

“As I have had occasion to say, together with the writings of Saint Augustine and other books, this is one of the texts that have most shaped my spiritual life and have formed me in what the path can be for knowing and loving the Lord.”

In his preface to a new Vatican edition of the book, Pope Leo shared how the pages of this spiritual text are still a valuable instruction on living daily life in God’s presence for us today, as it has been for him:

“It describes, if you will, a type of prayer and spirituality where one simply gives his life to the Lord and allows the Lord to lead.”

This June, you can join Pope Leo in learning and living Brother Lawrence’s secret to closeness with God! Ascension’s latest series in the Catholic Classics podcast is a journey through The Practice of the Presence of God with Fr. Gregory Pine, O.P. and his sister, Rebecca Dougherty.

Happy one year of papacy, Pope Leo!