As the cardinal proto-deacon concluded the announcement of the new pope, 69-year-old Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost stepped onto the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica. He wore a white cassock, a white zucchetto, a red pellegrina, a red-and-gold stole, and a pectoral cross. He had chosen the name Leo XIV. Many were surprised by the election…

Congratulatory messages to Pope Leo XIV were issued by world leaders of Catholic and non-Catholic nations alike on his elevation to the Throne of St. Peter. Even Russian President Vladimir Putin offered his “cordial congratulations,” saying, “I am confident that the constructive dialogue and cooperation between Russia and the Vatican will continue to flourish, grounded…