ROME — Pope Leo XIV has expressed his awe at the “significant learning curve” he has embraced as pontiff, likening certain aspects of the position to quickly diving “in on the deep end of the pool,” according to excerpts from an interview released Sunday on his 70th birthday.

Recognized as history’s first American pope, he swiftly adapted to his role as a spiritual guide for the universal Catholic Church, though he found the diplomatic responsibilities of being pope to be more demanding.

“The entirely new part of this role is being thrust onto the stage as a world leader,” he remarked. “I’m absorbing a lot and feel greatly challenged, yet not overwhelmed. In that area, I had to dive into the deep end of the pool quite quickly.”

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The interview was conducted by Vatican correspondent Elise Ann Allen for her upcoming biography of Pope Leo. Portions were published on Allen’s Catholic news site Crux and in Peru’s El Comercio newspaper on Sunday.

In the interview excerpts, Pope Leo reflected on feeling a connection to both America and Peru, owing to his 20 years spent as a missionary in Peru. This experience provided him with significant insight into and appreciation for the Latin American church and Pope Francis’ role as the first South American pope in history.

When asked whether he would support the U.S. or Peru in a potential World Cup match, Leo made comparisons to his Chicago upbringing and emphasized the importance of keeping opponents engaged. He shared how his life experiences have shaped his perspective, allowing him to embrace the values of both nations.

“Even at home, I grew up a White Sox fan, but my mother was a Cubs fan, so you couldn’t be one of those fans that shut out the other side,” he said. “We learned, even in sports, to have an open, dialogical, friendly and not angry competitive stance on things like that, because we might not have gotten dinner had we been!”

Francis promoted Leo to a top job at the Vatican in 2023, making clear he viewed him as a potential successor. Nevertheless Leo said he wasn’t fully prepared for the job and still had a ways to go.

“There’s still a huge learning curve ahead of me,” he said.

Leo’s 70th birthday is celebrated at the Vatican

The interview was released Sunday as Leo marked his 70th birthday, which was celebrated at the Vatican during his traditional noon blessing.

Leo saw giant “Happy birthday” banners, in English, Italian and Spanish, balloons and congratulatory signs held up by the faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square. Groups of Peruvian believers, including dancers in traditional attire, were out in force.

“My dears, it seems you know today I have turned 70,” Leo said to cheers. “I thank the Lord, my parents and all those who remembered me in their prayers.”

Later Sunday, Leo was spending his birthday afternoon presiding over an ecumenical prayer service in honor of 21st-century martyrs.

When he was elected last May at age 69, the former Robert Prevost was the youngest pope since 1978, when Karol Wojtyla was elected Pope John Paul II at age 58.

Many people in the square knew it was Leo’s birthday and wished him well, especially given the weight of responsibility he had taken on to run the Catholic Church.

“Well, he definitely needs a lot of support, because he has to carry on a pontificate during a particularly difficult period, both for geopolitical issues and certainly for internal matters,” said Lorenzo Vecchio, a member of a Catholic university group in the piazza. “We are certainly happy that he is a very young pope.”

Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni, for her part, issued a special greeting thanking Leo for his preaching, which she said was a source of inspiration. Leo’s teachings, she said in a statement, “provide reliable and solid guidance in extremely complex times, when certainties seem to waver and changes are as sudden as they are profound.”

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Associated Press video journalist Paolo Santalucia in Vatican City contributed to this report.