Born in the U.S., forged in Peru, chosen in Rome, Leo XIV will helm a church facing debt, division and decline

As a Chicagoan who teaches at Villanova University, it was surreal for me to watch the election of Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost as Pope Leo XIV last Thursday. The new pontiff grew up in Chicago and graduated from Villanova,

Peruvians have celebrated the election of a man many knew as a missionary and bishop during his 2 decades of service in the South American country.

Pope Leo XIV gave a homily at a Mass a day after he was chosen to lead the Catholic Church. Here's what the new pontiff said, and what he's up to in the coming days.

The historic election of Pope Leo XIV as the first U.S.-born pope is already upending an earlier calculus about U.S. conservative opposition to reform.

St. Matthew Catholic Church in Flint has been around for years, becoming a common sight for those in the city, but a piece of its history is now anything but common.

The Chicago-born pontiff is the first American to lead the Catholic Church, and while his positions on some of the church’s hot-button issues remain unclear, he has signaled continuity with his predecessor, who challenged norms, embraced migrants and the poor, and sought to build an inclusive church.

Pope Leo XIV is now the most powerful American Catholic in the world, and experts say he must aptly walk the line between U.S. politics and his papal duties.

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.

Live updates and latest news as the first North American pope steps into his role as the new leader of the Catholic Church.

Leo XIV vows to work for peace in regions with eastern-rite churches. VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo XIV vowed Wednesday to take “every effort” to work for peace in the Middle East