The Pope Leo XIV Effect: Why We Believe In Our New Pope

Call it the mood of the times, the search for someone who exudes sincerity, has his heart in the right place, and possesses a matching set of admirable values and opinions. Then top this all off with basic decency, and his constant reminder that he is human and that we are just as capable of goodness as he is. And that, in a nutshell, could give us a clue as to why news, anecdotes, and fresh stories of our new Pope, Leo XIV, are in such high demand—why his appeal, and early belief in him, is through the roof.

If that holds true globally, imagine how much more intense that would be here, as we’re a predominantly Roman Catholic country, and reports came out of how then-Cardinal Robert Prevost, an Augustinian, had two previous visits to the Philippines. Then there was a photo from one of his visits, which had him with a bottle of Pale Pilsen in front of him. Pope Leo’s close friendship with our Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle also surfaced. That would be more than enough reasons for us to adopt him, and ‘canonize’ him as an honorable ‘kababayan’.

Related: All About Robert Francis Prevost, Now Known as Pope Leo XIV, the First American Pope

Pope Leo XIV in Cebu, Philippines back in 2004. He visited Talisay City to lead a special blessing at the Santo Niño de Cebu Parish. | Photo from Order of Saint Augustine - Province of Santo Niño de Cebu

Personally, one of my favorites would be the report on how, the Saturday after his canonization, Pope Leo broke protocol, and asked if he could ‘fly solo’, and meet with the Swiss Guard. For those unaware, the Swiss Guard is the protective security unit assigned to the Pope. Known as the world’s smallest army, they were founded in the 13th century and quickly gained a reputation as a loyal and indestructible force. January 1506 was when the Swiss Guard officially entered the Vatican, to be blessed by then Pope Julius II—and that was the start of an over 500-year relationship, protecting the Pope and the Apostolic Palace within the Vatican City.

Apparently, the Guard did not know about this impromptu meeting, and they were asked to assemble at the Clementine Room. The Pope entered, showed signs of fatigue, but also of much genuine warmth. Speaking to the assembled Swiss Guards, the Pope mentioned, “When I was in the Sistine Chapel, in the most intense moment, I felt fear, fear not of responsibility, but fear of a world that is turning away from God.”

He then walked through the ranks, saying, “…Francis taught us that we must not be afraid. We are a Church that does not hide, does not apologize for its Faith, from today guards the Church with the prayer of St. Michael, to be part of its daily service. The entire weight of the Church will fall on these imperfect shoulders, but after being with you, I feel less alone in this mission.”

Granting this report can be verified, this holds special significance as the Embassy of Switzerland in the Philippines announced (reminded us) that a full-blooded Filipino, 26-year-old Sebastian Eviota, is a member of the current contingent of the Swiss Guard. In fact, he was fondly called ‘El Filipino’ by the late Pope Francis.

Photo from Embassy of Switzerland in the Philippines

I make mention of verification, as several quotes have been attributed to the new Pope, making the rounds on Facebook. Some are admittedly beautifully written and inspiring, as the one delivered and addressing those who “no longer believe, no longer hope, and no longer pray.” But an online search that included the Vatican’s official website, the new Pope’s official page, and even his speeches before he was elected Pope only yielded negative results for this particular quote about losing faith. 

As Pope Leo XIV was elected leader of the 1.4 billion Roman Catholics on May 8, 2025, there will be homilies, addresses, and speeches of the Pope to come—and this early, we should be wary and vigilant about our sources, where these quotes attributed to the Pope are emanating from. The importance of fact-checking and the prevalence of fake news are not the exclusive domain of Philippine elections. The democratization of ‘news’ by social media will jump on the surge of the new Pope’s popularity.

Born in Chicago in 1955, Robert Prevost became a friar of the Order of Saint Augustine in 1977 and was ordained as a priest in 1982. Extensive missionary work in Peru in the 1980s and 1990s led to his being elected prior general of the Order of Saint Augustine from 2001 to 2013. As Bishop of Chiclayo, he returned to Peru from 2015 to 2023; and in 2023, Pope Francis appointed him prefect for the Dicastery for Bishops, and President of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America. He was made a Cardinal that same year of 2023. 

The first Pope to have been born in North America, he has held Peruvian citizenship since 2015, and is the first Pope from the Order of Saint Augustine. As Cardinal, he emphasized synodality, missionary dialogue, and engagement with social and technological challenges, including AI and robotics. On issues such as climate change, global migration, Church governance, and human rights, he has been quite engaged, expressing alignment with the reforms of the Second Vatican Council. Synodality refers to the “path of spiritual renewal and structural reform that enables the Church to be more participatory and missionary, so that it can walk with every man and woman, radiating the light of Christ.”

The day after his election, Leo XIV celebrated his first Mass as Pope and preached against the lack of faith prevalent in the world, and how the Church should be a “beacon that illuminates the dark nights of this world.” His inauguration Mass was held on May 18 at St. Peter’s Square. 

US visitors to Rome and the Vatican make up the largest contingent of tourists in the Italian capital—a record 2.5 million in 2024. You can expect that to now double, as we have our first North American Pope. In Italian, it’s been coined in the phrase “effetto Papa Leone XIV,” loosely translated as the Pope Leo XIV effect.

And Rome tourism stakeholders are going into overdrive in anticipation. Gelato brands based in the Italian Capital are already hard at work, conjuring up Papa Leone flavors, while a bar in the vicinity of the Vatican has already introduced a beer named after the new Pope. Bookings from the USA for that May 18 inaugural Mass saw a significant upswing after the selection was confirmed. Atlante Star, a hotel that enjoys a view of St. Peter’s Basilica from its rooftop terrace, was happy to report how many inquiries about room availability were coming from the USA. 

Do expect the Pope Leo XIV effect to reach the Philippines in a big way. His previous visits to our shores guarantee that, and it’ll soon be bragging rights among the Filipino faithful to post on social media their audience with, and sightings of, Pope Leo. In fact, don’t be surprised to find that already happening from the May 18 Mass.

Lead photo from Vatican Media