Pope Leo XIV’s devotion to St. Augustine, his life and ministry as a member of the Augustinian order and his focus on the unity of the church are reflected in his episcopal motto and coat of arms.

Peruvians have greeted the election of Pope Leo with elation, pride and even disbelief that an adopted prelate whose pastoral formation came as a Augustinian missionary in poor and undeveloped parts of Peru could become pope and represent the country on the world stage.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked Pope Leo XIV for his support of a just and lasting peace in Ukraine, and he invited the newly-elected pontiff to visit the war-torn nation.

It is a reminder, as always, that when it comes to scoring papabile, usually those who know don’t say, and those who say don’t know.

Aside from Leo XIII, himself not canonized, there have been 12 others who share a name with the new pope, and five of those predecessors attained the heights of sanctity and have been proclaimed saints.

Not counting his meeting May 10 with the College of Cardinals, Pope Leo’s first special audience was reserved for members of the media who covered his election and the death of Pope Francis.

Father Franks remembers the new Roman pontiff as a highly intelligent, well-liked student, and the sort of classmate who would go out of his way to help everyone else, especially those in need.

The needy of the Eternal City were glad to have their cardinal back from conclave, Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, sharing news about the new pontiff — who was “chosen by the Holy Spirit,” the prelate said.

As the Catholic Church welcomes its first American pope, here are 10 things to know about Pope Leo XIV, formerly Cardinal Robert F. Prevost.

OSV News asked George Weigel — the American biographer of the pope from Poland, St. John Paul II — about what the first few days of papacy tell us about Pope Leo XIV, how as an American missionary he can influence the world and about his own hopes for the papacy.