Pope Leo had to remind relatives that he is the pontiff when they called him for help with repairs. His older brother, John Prevost, recently rang him from Chicago about a computer issue because John has always considered Leo the family's fixer.
Pope Leo said: "John, I'm the Pope." John replied: "Oh, sorry Pope. My computer is broken."
The anecdote was shared by Leo's close friend Armando Jesus Lovera, who still has long phone chats with the pontiff about cars. They have been friends since 1992 when Lovera arrived at the Augustinian formation house that Prevost ran in Peru.
Lovera and Pope Leo also watch football matches together. The Pope watched his first World Cup game in 1982 as a student in Rome, the year Spain hosted and Italy won.
He recently admitted he played football in Peru as a defender, adding: "In case anyone wants to know... I wasn't a great goal scorer." The 70-year-old head of the Catholic Church said his favorite sport to play now is tennis. As a young boy in the US, he played American football, "which is a bit more violent."
Last week, the pontiff faced a travel disruption when his own flight experienced technical difficulties. He had been visiting Spain, addressing the Spanish Congress on June 8, a historic first for a pontiff.
On Friday, as he prepared to return to Rome, the Iberia charter plane experienced a technical problem and was grounded. The pilot reported that the engine failed to start after the Pope had boarded. Initial repair efforts failed, and passengers disembarked. Iberia later confirmed the issue and arranged a replacement plane from Madrid.
Meanwhile, King Felipe VI of Spain offered his private jet, a Falcon, to take the Pope and his delegation back to Rome.
