I met the man who would become Pope Leo XIV in October 2023. We were standing outside the Vatican’s Synod Hall, and from my short conversation with Cardinal Robert Prevost, I could tell he was a good listener,

Pope Leo XIV’s oldest brother stood by his decision to share a social media post that referred to California Rep. Nancy Pelosi as a “drunk c–t,” declaring Monday, “I wouldn’t have posted it if I didn’t kind of believe it.

His election reflects a Church that is not shrinking but expanding — a Church alive in every corner of the world, including right here in the U.S.