The proposed agreement is a one-page, 14-point memorandum aimed at ending the war and starting formal talks.

Even though she is not practicing the faith, Greg has a personal connection to the American pope. She grew up in Frankfurt, a south Chicago suburb. “It’s pretty close to where Pope Leo grew up,” she said, “and they said his favorite restaurant is Aurelio’s. I used to work at Aurelio’s.”

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Pope Leo spoke out against the death penalty and called for its abolition in the U.S. and worldwide. In a video message to DePaul University, the pope said every human life is sacred and the death penalty violates human dignity, even for those convicted of serious crimes.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday dismissed the possibility that his upcoming trip to the Vatican is focused on smoothing over relations between the Trump administration and Pope Leo XIV. The State Department announced Monday that Rubio would be meeting with the pope and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni during his visit to Italy later this week.

Pope Leo XIV has dedicated his prayer intention for the month of May to one of humanity’s most persistent challenges: hunger. In a video message released on April 30 by the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, the pope called on Catholics worldwide to confront the problem of food insecurity with both prayer and concrete action.