Pope Leo XIV vowed Sunday to work for unity in a polarized Catholic Church and world, as history’s first American pope offered a message of healing during

Tens of thousands came to St. Peter’s Square to mark the official start of the pontificate of the first American to lead the Roman Catholic Church. Vice President JD Vance was among the dignitaries who attended.

Pope Leo XIV holds his first general audience in St. Peter’s Square on Wednesday, issuing an appeal for Gaza, which he calls an “increasingly worrying and painful” situation, harming children, elderly, and the sick in particular.