"The name Leo harkens back to Pope Leo the Great," the first pope with the name Leo, CBS News papal contributor Candida Moss said Thursday. Also known as Pope Leo I, his papacy was from 440 to 461.

Pope Leo XIV's father, Louis Marius Prevost, was of French and Italian descent, according to Vatican News. His mother, Mildred Martínez, was of Spanish descent.

Leo XIV, the first ever American pope, condemned the exploitation of the poor and called for unity in the church during his inaugural Mass in St. Peter’s Square, an event attended by world ...

Pope Leo XIV waves to the crowd in St. Peter’s Square before his inauguration mass on May 18, 2025. AP During the Mass, Leo appeared to choke up when the two potent symbols of the papacy were ...

Just days into the papacy of Leo XIV, the new pope has begun to lay out his vision for how he will lead the Catholic church. Like his predecessor, he plans to embrace the poor and the marginalized.

“I would say yes. I hope Pope Leo will continue to be one of inclusion. I can’t speak for the pope, but he is from Chicago, so …” Mtijevic said, shrugging and eliciting laughter from the room.

Pope Leo XIV leads the Mass for the Care of Creation, in Castel Gandolfo, Italy, Wednesday, July 9, 2025. (Yara Nardi /Pool Photo via AP) ...

UPDATED: May 8, 2025 at 6:02 PM EDT New Yorkers rejoiced over the selection of a new pontiff, Pope Leo XIV, the first American selected as Bishop of Rome for the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics.

Pope Leo XIV presided over the first Mass of his papacy on Friday, where he delivered the homily, beginning it in English. He urged Catholics to go beyond superficial faith and called on the ...

Pope Leo XIV honored its spirit when he said, “Let us keep in our hearts the weak but always courageous voice of Pope Francis that blesses Rome. … God loves us. God loves everyone.

Pope Leo XIV greets visitors during his weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican June 4, 2025. (CNS/Lola Gomez) ...