I met the man who would become Pope Leo XIV in October 2023. We were standing outside the Vatican’s Synod Hall, and from my short conversation with Cardinal Robert Prevost, I could tell he was a good listener,

His election reflects a Church that is not shrinking but expanding — a Church alive in every corner of the world, including right here in the U.S.

White smoke billowed from the Sistine Chapel chimney in Vatican City Thursday as the world gathered to watch a new pope take the helm of the Roman Catholic Church. The man who emerged was a surprise to many and a historical first for the faith: Pope Leo XIV will be the first American pope.