Excitement rippled through New York City's St. Patrick's Cathedral on Sunday morning, the first since an American was picked to lead the Roman Catholic Church in a selection that surprised and delighted many of his countrymen and women.

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.

Mass said they hoped Pope Leo, the first U.S-born pontiff, would focus on inclusivity and address ideological divides within the Catholic Church.