Even as Pope Leo XIV's profile as a humble champion of the disenfranchised takes shape, a looming question is how he will approach the Catholic Church's sexual abuse crisis while leading a global institution that has maintained secrecy and silence around its handling of claims against clergy.

Robert Prevost, a missionary who spent his career ministering in Peru and leads the Vatican's powerful office of bishops, was elected the first American pope in the 2,000-year history of the Catholic Church.

The conclave has elected Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, an American-born cleric, as the new popeNow the 267th pontiff, he will be known as Pope Leo XIV as he assumes the mantle of spiritual leadership over more than 1.

Taking the name Leo XIV, the American was elected to be the 267th pontiff and spiritual leader of the world's 1.4 billion Roman Catholics.

Cardinal Robert Prevost – a Chicago native who spent his career ministering to the poor in Peru – has been elected the 267 th pope, marking the first American pontiff in the Catholic Church ...

He visited and stayed overnight on several occasions at the school located on Padre Damián street, where he is remembered as "a man who listened a lot and sought unity among divergences.". "The Pope has friendships in Madrid and used to come here a lot,

Incoming Pope Leo XIV faces what some call the most-challenging environment for religion in China since Mao Tse-tung.

I don’t think he is going to go, pull the church hard left,” Prevost also said. “I think he’s going to be down the middle.”