Pope Leo XIV made his grand entrance in St Peter’s Square for his inaugural mass, but there was one thing that was notably different.

He arrived at 8:15 am local time, but the 69-year-old pontiff waved to thousands from an open-top popemobile, causing the crowd to descend into a frenzy.

The Pope seemed to be busy riding on the famous popemobile, which had plenty of staple papal appearances for decades, but it’s more than just a PR tool.

It’s known for being the Pope’s last line of defense. The tradition started with Mercedes-Benz gifting this to Pope Pius in 1930, and that was complete with some silk carpeting and whatnot.

This term did not catch on until the 1970s, but since then, it’s been identically linked to both visibility and protection.

Some claim that it’s a huge security hazard to climb out and wave, as it puts them at risk of being shot at from a distance. While over the years, we’ve seen upgrades arise, including those featuring bulletproof features, it’s still not a great decision to leap out the way the new Pope was doing.

Sources shared how Pope Leo has always made the deliberate decision to ride exposed despite being warned about the dangers, and also how he refuses to use the safety protocols in place.