POPE? Pope who?

OK, a new pope has been declared. Good for him. And good for all the Catholics for whom he is their leader.
Now comes word that our Prime Minister, Mark Carney, has sent his congratulations to the new Pope, yet he’s not sure his agenda will allow him to attend the “swearing in ceremony” in Rome. There’s lots to do at home.
Hmmmm…. Is it just me (and I know it’s not), but why would a Canadian Prime Minister feel the necessity of attending a pope’s coronation? And why should those of us who are not Catholics give a damn about this new pontiff. He’s not my leader.
Why do people care so much about this pope figure when the majority of folks across the world are not Catholic? Let’s face it: there are a lot more Muslims than there are Catholics, and their only authority is Allah.
Go figure!