The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, an independent, bipartisan U.S. government commission that monitors religious freedom around the globe, praised Pope Leo XIV May 16 for demonstrating the Vatican would continue its advocacy for international religious freedom during his papacy.

Pope Leo XIV has named Cardinal Baldassare Reina grand chancellor of the John Paul II Pontifical Theological Institute for Marriage and Family Sciences.

During a special audience with religious leaders who came to Rome for the inauguration of his papal ministry, Pope Leo XIV vowed to continue working toward Christian unity and promoting dialogue among all religions.

The day after his inauguration Mass, Pope Leo XIV had a closed-door meeting with U.S. Vice President JD Vance at the Vatican.

The way Pope Leo has put Christ at the center in these early days of his pontificate illustrates that Christ is no mere idea or role model.

Though only days into his papacy, Pope Leo XIV has given war-weary Ukrainians reason to hope that Russia’s aggression against their nation — now in its 11th year — can be ended through a just peace.

Pope Leo XIV met privately with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his wife May 18, their second encounter of the day.

Archbishop William E. Lori said it was a beautiful sight to see the whole church celebrate the inauguration of Pope Leo XIV in St. Peter’s Square on a picture-perfect May morning in Rome.

Christ Our Savior — through two sets of church mergers — is now known as the “de facto” home parish of the new pope when he was just Robert F. Prevost.

Launching his papacy with a call for reconciliation and communion, Pope Leo XIV formally began his ministry as the successor of St. Peter by calling for “a united church, a sign of unity and communion, which becomes a leaven for a reconciled world.”