When still a cardinal, the new pope led discussions on key issues facing the church during which “every voice had equal value,” whether an archbishop or an unordained believer.

Pope Leo XIV celebrated his first Mass in the Sistine Chapel where he was elected less than 24 hours earlier, warning of the dangers caused by a lack of faith and hoping the Catholic Church could be a beacon lighting the world's "dark nights".

Pope Leo XIV is registered to vote in the United States and has previously voted in some Republican primaries, but he is not registered as a member of a political party.