What we know about Pope Leo XIV’s political and social views

The Washington Post · last updated May 9, 2025 – 4:52 PM

Pope Leo XIV spent two decades working in Peru’s poorest enclave and appears to be in the mold of Pope Francis — who carried a legacy as “the people’s pope” for his outreach to those on society’s margins.

The Chicago-born pontiff is the first from the United States 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.

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