Pope Leo XIV was elected on 8 May 2025 and is the first pope born in the United States. He was born in Chicago.
In an interview after the July 2026 Canticle of Peace, he said he thinks of himself as the pope who happens to be American, according to the account in PolicyNow's main article.
He has revived the tradition of spending part of the summer at Castel Gandolfo. In September 2025 he inaugurated Borgo Laudato Si' there, calling it a seed of hope left by Pope Francis.
On 29 July 2026 he presided over Canticle of Peace in the same gardens, listening to a choir of 164 young people and Andrea Bocelli, and praying for peace.