The United States was often deemed too powerful — militarily, diplomatically, and even culturally — for one of its own to control one of the world’s most influential seats of moral authority: the Roman Catholic Church and its flock,

From Washington to Rome, leaders around the globe responded to the surprise election of American Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost as the next head of the Catholic Church.

President Donald Trump hailed the election of Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost as the pope, the first US national ever to be head of the Catholic Church, and said he looked forward to meeting him.