The new pontiff inherited the trip from his predecessor Pope Francis, who had planned to go himself. Leo arrives in a region roiled by the October 7 2023 Hamas attack on Israel and Israel’s Gaza offensive, which broadened into a full-blown war between Israel and the Shia militant group Hizbollah in Lebanon last year.

Following the example of St. Francis of Assisi, bishops are called to be close to the people in their dioceses and peacemakers in a world marked by division and tension, Pope Leo XIV told the bishops of Italy.

A vehicle used by the late Pope Francis during his visit to Bethlehem in 2014 has been turned into mobile health clinic.

Pope Leo XIV has a message for Americans celebrating Thanksgiving. While speaking with NBC's Molly Hunter on Nov. 25, the Chicago native shared what he hopes people remember during the annual holiday.

A camera owned by the late pope Francis was sold at auction in Vienna on Saturday for €6.5 million ($7.5 million) after an unexpected bidding war. The Leica M-A exceeded its estimated value a hundredfold, according to a spokesman for the 47th Leitz Photographica Auction.