The groundwork for a substantial wish list was laid by Pope Francis, who visited Southeast Asia in 2023 and 2024, including far-flung destinations such as Vanimo in Papua New Guinea, where he served as a powerful voice on a wide range of social issues.

"He is an American, but he's an American who has a really international experience," said an assistant professor at St. Louis University.

Pope Leo XIII, who served from 1878 to 1903, led the church into the modern world, emphasizing its moral authority beyond national boundaries. He defended the rights of working people and affirmed the value of science.

He chose the name Pope Leo XIV. Matthew Gabriele ... the way that the Catholic church has been changing... Recognizing the global scope of the 1.4 billion Catholics that there are in the world ...

Erik Pohlmeier, bishop of the Diocese of St. Augustine, is one of many welcoming Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, a 69-year-old Chicago native, as Pope Leo XIV, the new leader of the Roman Catholic Church. Pohlmeier described the appointing of the first American Pope in history as a “great honor,” in a public statement issued by the diocese.

Fr. Thomas Reese used to be certain no American would be elected pope. Now, he admits, he has been proved wrong with this new American — and Peruvian — pope, and speculates: What kind of pope will Leo XIV be?