Pope Leo XIV marvels at ‘huge learning curve’ in an interview released on his 70th birthday as first American pontiff

Rome – Pope Liu fourteen was surprised by the “huge learning curve”, which he handed over as a bonof and semi -functionality in jumping “in the deep end of the billiards very quickly”, in interview excerpts issued on Sunday on his seventieth birthday.

The first American Pope in history said that he quickly found his foot as a comprehensive Catholic Church, but he discovered that the diplomatic function represented in the Pope was more challenging.

“The new aspect is completely in this job, it is thrown at the level of the world leader,” he said. “I learn a lot and feel the very challenge, but I was not steeped. On that, I had to jump in the deep end of the pool very quickly.”

Also read: Pope Liu presented a Portlelo cake for 70 birthday

The interview conducted the Vatican Correspondent Elise Ann Allen for the upcoming Liu biography. On Sunday’s excerpts were published on the Catholic News website, and in El Comrio Daily of Peru.

In excerpts, Leo talked about the American and Berofi feeling, given his 20 -year -old missionary experience in Peru. He said that this experience gave him a great insight into the Latin American Church and the Ministry of Pope Francis as the first Pope in South America in history.

When he was asked if he would tour the United States or Peru at the FIFA World Cup, Liu Awazi directed his childhood in Chicago and the value of not closing the opponents.

“Even at home, I grew up with White Sox lovers, but my mother was a fan of the cubs, so you cannot be one of these fans who closed the other side,” he said. “We have learned, even in sport, that we have an open competitive position, dialogue, friendly, and not angry at such things, because we may not have not had dinner if we were!”

Rouge Francis Liu was a higher job in the Vatican in 2023, which made it clear that he looked at him as a potential caliph. However, Leo said he was not completely prepared for this position and still had ways to go.

“There is still a huge educational curve in front of me,” he said.

Liu’s 70th birthday is celebrated in the Vatican

The interview was released on Sunday while Liu represented his seventieth birthday, which was celebrated in the Vatican during the traditional blessing of his back.

Liu saw the giant “happy birthday” banners, in English, Italian and Spanish, balloons and congratulations signs held by the believers gathered by St. Peter’s Square. Groups of Peruvian believers, including dancers in traditional clothes, were valid.

Liu said of chants: “My dear, it seems that you know today that I am 70.” “I thank the Lord, my father, and all who remember me in their prayers.”

Later on Sunday, Liu was spending his birthday in the afternoon of the service of an ecumenical prayer in honor of the martyrs of the twenty -first century.

When he was elected last May at the age of 69, former Robert Brevost was the youngest of the Pope since 1978, when Carole Westltl Pope John Paul II was elected at the age of 58.

Many people in the field knew that Liu’s birthday wished him success, especially given the weight of the responsibility he assumed to operate the Catholic Church.

“Well, he definitely needs a lot of support, because he must continue in a special difficult period, both for geopolitical issues and certainly for internal issues,” said Lorenzo Vikio, a member of a Catholic university group in Bayza. “We are definitely happy because it is a very small door.”

For its part, Italian Prime Minister Giojia Miloni issued a special greeting to Liu for the preaching, which she said was an inspiration. She said in a statement, “Leo’s teachings” provide reliable and solid guidance at very complex times, when it seems that certainty is frequented and the changes are surprising as much as it is deep.

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A journalist in the Associated Press Paulo Santaloshia in the Vatican city of the Vatican contributed to this report.