Francis may have been globally admired, but within the church hierarchy he was a polarizing figure. This could have resulted in a drawn-out voting process as diverse groups within the electorate struggle to find common ground.

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

Cheers erupted in the halls of St. Mark School on Thursday as students learned of a groundbreaking moment in Catholic history, the election of the first-ever American pope.