At a conclave with many new members, a swift, stunning consensus built around an unknown to many outside of the church.

A U.S. bishop thought it was unlikely that Catholic cardinals would break with more than two centuries of precedent to pick a pope from the states, but it has happened.

Leo XIV’s predecessor Pope Francis, birth name Jorge Maria Bergoglio, appointed 80% of the cardinals who voted to elect one of them as the next pope. Most of Bergoglio’s appointees are younger and more racially and geographically diverse than the men they replaced, and many appear to be far more progressive than he was.

On "This Week," Cardinal Cupich said Pope Leo XIV may call for changes to the United States immigration system.

Resurfaced comments from 2023 indicate that Pope Leo XIV may follow in the footsteps of his predecessor Pope Francis when it comes to the Church’s treatment of LGBTQ+ Catholics. During a 2023 interview with Catholic News Service uploaded to the outlet’s YouTube channel earlier this week,

Chicago-born Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, was chosen as the 267th Pope elected by 133 cardinals locked inside the Sistine Chapel on the second day of their conclave - a process that has been in the cultural zeitgeist recently due to the Oscar-nominated movie of the same name starring Ralph Fiennes.

Cardinal Blase Cupich, Archbishop of Chicago, said he expects Pope Leo XIV "feels an obligation," to speak to what he called the issues of the day, amid "real challenges globally."

Six are joining in their first papal conclave, and four others participated in the 2013 conclave that elected Pope Francis.