Pope Leo XIV on Friday celebrated mass in the Sistine Chapel as Italian media saluted the first American pope and called Paolo Sorrentino prophetic.

Some conservatives and traditionalist Catholics are cautiously optimistic over the historic election of Pope Leo XIV, hopeful he will return doctrinal rigor to the papacy, even as progressives sense he will continue Pope Francis’ reformist agenda.

The pontiff held his first meeting with the news media at the Vatican and called on reporters to choose “the path of communication in favor of peace.”

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,

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has invited Pope Leo XIV to Ukraine. During their first phone chat, Zelensky thanked him for supporting peace.

Pope Leo XIV is the first Pope from the Order of St. Augustine, which suggests he will promote peace and dialogue.

The new pontiff expressed solidarity with journalists around the world who have been jailed for trying to seek and report the truth.