News that the global Catholic church would get its first-ever U.S.-born pope was welcomed by Catholics across the ideological spectrum in Pope Leo XIV ’s homeland, raising the question of whether he might be able to ease some of the deep divisions within its ranks.

To many, Pope Leo XIV seemed a different sort of American, a man who served the poor for decades, spoke Spanish and Italian and was close to Pope Francis.

Catholics around the world were skeptical at first about an American pope. But Pope Leo XIV’s multicultural and multilingual identity has put them at ease.