The pope entered the church and stopped to pray, first in front of the altar and then in front of the image of the Virgin Mary, where he recited Pope John Paul II’s prayer to the Mother of Good Counsel, according to the Vatican press room.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has invited the new Pope Leo XIV to visit the country after holding his first phone call with the pontiff on Monday. "Such a visit would bring real hope to all believers and to all our people,

Jumping straight into the geopolitical fray, the words of the U.S.-born pontiff are meant to single out Vladimir Putin — a notable difference with Pope Francis. The timing may also be just right to help his fellow American,