Pope Leo XIV

Both Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio will attend the inaugural Mass of Pope Leo XIV on May 18, the vice president's office said.

Thanking Pope Leo XIV for his prayers for Ukraine, the head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church gave the pope a painting and a list of prisoners the Ukrainians want the Vatican's help in liberating.

Pope Leo has seen the world from the bottom up, an experience that can only be life altering.

Habemus Papam! We have a new pope. Can there be any phrase more joyful to the Catholic ear? And now all eyes will be on him, watching and waiting to see the direction this new successor to Peter will take.

The seagulls perched on the Sistine Chapel rooftop undoubtedly saw the white smoke first. But it didn't take long for the basilica bells to confirm the news we were all waiting for: a new pope had been chosen.

In a country where over 90% of the population identifies as Christian—and nearly three-quarters as Catholic—the election of a new pope is more than a Vatican affair. It's personal.

When Catholics heard on May 8 the new pope had chosen the name Leo XIV, the thoughts of many turned immediately to Leo XIII, the last pope to bear the name.

Pope Leo XIV's devotion to St. Augustine, his life and ministry as a member of the Augustinian order and his focus on the unity of the church are reflected in his episcopal motto and coat of arms.

As the Catholic Church welcomes its first American pope, here are 10 things to know about Pope Leo XIV, formerly Cardinal Robert F. Prevost.

Among his first messages, Pope Leo XIV expressed his intention to strengthen the Catholic Church's ties with the Jewish community.