"Peace be with you," he told the cheering crowd in fluent Italian. Leo, who became the church's 267th pope, also spoke in Spanish but not English in his brief address.Start the day smarter. Get all the news you need in your inbox each morning.

The new pope, formerly Robert F. Prevost, has a mixed voting history, casting ballots in both GOP and Democratic primaries.

“Congratulations to Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, who was just named Pope. It is such an honor to realize that he is the first American Pope,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “What excitement, and what a Great Honor for our Country. I look forward to meeting Pope Leo XIV. It will be a very meaningful moment!”