Leo urged an end to the ongoing wars in Ukraine and the Middle East. "I carry in my heart the suffering of the beloved Ukrainian people," he said. "Let us do everything possible to reach a genuine, just and lasting peace as soon as possible. May all prisoners be freed and children be able to return to their families."

The Chicago-born pontiff is the first American to lead the Catholic Church, and while his positions on some of the church’s hot-button issues remain unclear, he has signaled continuity with his predecessor, who challenged norms, embraced migrants and the poor, and sought to build an inclusive church.

The new pope said he would be guided by a key document that his predecessor wrote listing the church’s priorities, including a “loving care for the least and the rejected.”

The 73-year-old Florida man appears to be a staunch Trump supporter who uses his Facebook account to go on the attack.

In his first days as pope, Leo XIV has struck many as an unassuming man of quiet warmth and deeply rooted identity. A visit to the part of Chicago where the first American Pontiff was raised gives an idea of how he got that way.

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Leo XIV on Monday called for the release of imprisoned journalists and affirmed the “precious gift of free speech and the press” in an audience with some of the 6,000 journalists who descended on Rome to cover his election as the first American pontiff.

Pope Leo also celebrated Mother’s Day as jubilee bands and thousands of pilgrims created a festive atmosphere in St. Peter’s Square on Sunday.

Pope Leo XIV revealed that his papal name was partially inspired by the looming challenges of a world increasingly influenced by artificial intelligence.