Seniors at St. Rita High School on Chicago's Southwest Side were given a pretty straightforward assignment this week: choose a potential pope and give a presentation. Then came the curveball from the papal conclave.

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.

Former Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost of the United States was selected Thursday by the papal conclave to succeed Pope Francis and lead the Roman Catholic Church. The new pontiff, who has taken the name Leo XIV,