The unvirginal hands of a gay man decorated the walls and ceilings the most famous church in the world: the Sistine Chapel.

Pope Leo XIV was installed as the head of the Catholic Church after being elected in the papal Conclave on May 8.

"Even though we didn’t actually see the smoke or see the new pope, the feeling of being there, it was in everybody's heart.

Pope Leo XIV, right, stands in the Sistine Chapel among cardinals after being elected at the Vatican on May 8, 2025. He ...

VATICAN CITY (RNS) — A quiet alliance between North and South American cardinals helped elect the first US-born pope.

Odds-makers likely had an easier time 20 years ago, when Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger stepped onto the balcony overlooking St.

Tens of thousands came to St. Peter’s Square to mark the official start of the pontificate of the first American to lead the ...

Pope Leo XIV, history’s first American pope, is vowing to work for unity so that the Catholic Church becomes a sign of peace ...

Pope Leo XIV, the first American pope, vowed on Sunday to work for unity so that the Catholic Church becomes a sign of peace ...