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,

The Order of St. Augustine, with fewer than 3,000 members, shaped the man who would become a cardinal, and then pope to the world’s Roman Catholics.

Averting a financial crisis “will rank among most pressing issues for the new pontiff,” says Charles Gillespie, PhD, professor at Sacred Heart University in Connecticut.

The first American pope — previously known as Cardinal Robert Prevost — was elected on May 8 Pope Leo XIV has plenty to say about his home country. The first-ever American pope was elected to lead the Catholic church on May 8.

The contrast between President Donald Trump and Chicago-born Pope Leo XIV couldn’t be more stark — politically, personally or in their world views. They lead in different roles and realms.

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.

Cardinal Robert Prevost has been announced as the new pontiff and has chosen the name Pope Leo XIV.There are no written rules or official criteria for a pope's name, but they choose names that have meaning in the Catholic tradition.

On Thursday afternoon -- running with a claim by an ABC News reporter -- the Chicago Cubs boasted that Pope Leo XIV was a fan of theirs, with their famous signage outside Wrigley Field telling the locals the good news: "Hey, Chicago. He's a Cubs fan!"