The program on Saturday in Chicago includes music, prayer, speeches and Pope Leo’s first public address to an American audience.

Pope Leo appealed on Saturday for authorities in Iran and Israel to act with "reason" after airstrikes between the two countries killed dozens and sent civilians into shelters, and called on the nations to pursue dialogue.

Pope Leo XIV is distantly related to a number of prominent figures, including Hillary Clinton and former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, according to a genealogy investigation published by the New York Times.

Pope Leo XIV made his first appointment of a Chinese bishop under the Vatican's 2018 agreement with Beijing, signalling he is continuing one of Pope Francis' most controversial foreign policy decisions.