The Catholic Church has a new leader and congratulations are pouring in as Pope Leo XIV prepares to celebrate his first Mass on Friday, a day after his historic election as the first North American pope in the church's 2,000-year history.
On Thursday, Cardinal Robert Prevost emerged onto the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican, following the conclave and the appearance of white smoke from the Sistine Chapel chimney, signaling that a new pontiff has been chosen. His election overcame the traditional prohibition against a pope from the United States.
