Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is a follower of self-described Christian nationalist pastor Douglas Wilson, one of an ascendent group of Christian religious leaders finding influence among MAGA conservatives, CNN reports.

“In his first half-year in office — amid his tariff campaign, government-slashing moves and immigration crackdown — President Donald Trump has also repeatedly delivered for conservative Christians, who form the bedrock of his Republican support,” the AP reports.

“The Trump administration has green-lit political endorsements from the pulpit and encouraged religion in the federal workplace. Trump has established faith-focused entities with numerous influential Christian appointees. He’s energized supporters with assaults on cultural and academic targets long seen as liberal bastions. His administration and his Supreme Court appointees have expanded areas for religious exemptions and expression in the public square.”

Gallup: “Among 14 prominent U.S. and global figures, Pope Leo XIV has the most positive image by far, with many more Americans viewing him favorably than unfavorably. His 57% favorable rating and 11% unfavorable rating result in a +46 net-favorable score, far ahead of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (+18) and U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (+11).”

The Economist: “Some 56% of those surveyed agreed that the church should support the rights of refugees and migrants, even if that conflicts with national border laws. Views on migrants varied widely across countries: Catholics in Europe, where immigration is a contentious political issue, were markedly less sympathetic than those in Africa, Asia and South America. A majority of Catholics surveyed (55%) supported the church being more welcoming to gay and transgender people. Kenya was the only country where opposition outweighed support (around a fifth of respondents globally were ambivalent on the issue). Just over half (51%) of those surveyed supported women becoming ordained deacons; and 46% were in favour of allowing priests to marry. In each case, because a large share of Catholics were undecided, opponents were in the minority.”

“Catholics from Argentina, Francis’s birthplace, were consistently among the most open to change. The late pope’s views may have had greater influence there. Many Catholics in the relatively liberal country—Argentina was the first in Latin America to legalise same-sex marriage, in 2010—are also not particularly devout. At least two-thirds of Argentinians identify as Catholic, but only around 20% of the population attends mass regularly.”

“The Diocese of San Bernardino is the first in the nation to formally lift the obligation for Catholics to attend Mass in response to immigration detentions on church property,” NPR reports.

“The IRS said on Monday that churches and other houses of worship should be allowed to endorse political candidates to their congregations, carving out an exemption in a decades-old ban on political activity by tax-exempt nonprofits,” the New York Times reports.

Los Angeles Times: “A fire-and-brimstone Pentecostal preacher, Swaggart bragged he had more followers than Oral Roberts or Jim Bakker, lived a luxuriant life on a 100-acre compound in Baton Rouge, La., and whooshed off to evangelistic crusades in a private jet with a fleet of 18-wheelers, loaded with musical instruments and television equipment, rumbling down the highway below.”

“But his ministry was upended in the 1980s when photos surfaced showing Swaggart with a prostitute at a New Orleans motel and again when he was pulled over by the California Highway Patrol in the Mojave Desert while traveling with a woman who told officers she was a prostitute.”

“Pope Leo XIV spurned J.D. Vance on Sunday, offering him a quick greeting after his inaugural mass while holding extensive private meetings with other world leaders,” the Daily Beast reports.

“The first American pope shook Vance’s hand during a brief, 17-second exchange during the procession line after the mass.”

Fortune: “As an American citizen, Pope Leo XIV could be required to file a tax return with the U.S. government, and his tax liability may reach six figures. Because the U.S. taxes its citizens on their worldwide income, Leo will need to file a return, with some additional details based on the bank accounts he controls as head of the Vatican, unless the U.S. makes an exception for him or he renounces his citizenship, experts said.”

“As pope, Leo XIV is entitled to a salary of 30,000 euros, or about $33,000 per month, which puts his annual earnings at about $396,000 per year. Unless given an exception, the first American pontiff may have an estimated tax liability of $135,287, which includes both federal and self-employment tax, based on his salary.”

“Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost’s ascension to the papacy marks an extraordinary moment for American leadership on the world stage at a time when President Trump has transformed the country’s reputation abroad and fueled distrust among longtime allies,” the New York Times reports.

“But while two Americans now sit in positions of enormous global influence, Pope Leo XIV may offer the world a different view of U.S. values from Mr. Trump’s America First approach, which he has executed through stiff tariffs, imperialist musings and vast cuts to foreign aid.”

“When he was introduced to the world, the new pope — who speaks five languages and is a naturalized citizen of Peru — emphasized his pluralistic background, making a point of speaking in Italian (representing his new constituency) and Spanish (his old one). He spoke no English and made no reference to the United States, even as some Catholics in St. Peter’s Square excitedly waved U.S. flags.”

Pope Leo XIV pledged to align himself with “ordinary people” and against the rich and powerful, and calling for missionary outreach to help heal the “wounds that afflict our society,” the New York Times reports.

“The election of Leo, the first pope born in the United States, represents a singular moment in the history of the American church. But some of the cardinals who elected him said his life of service to the poor in Peru and to the church in senior roles at the Vatican mattered far more in the conclave than his nationality.”

Playbook: “It takes a lot to bigfoot a news cycle that Donald Trump has set out to dominate. But that’s precisely what happened yesterday, as the president’s hopes to get as much coverage as possible around his nascent trade deal with the UK (more on that in a moment) went up in smoke — literally: white smoke billowing from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel, heralding the election of a new pope.”

“That alone would be enough to merit the world’s attention. Then came the announcement that landed like a haymaker: This pope is an American.”

“Cardinal Robert Prevost, who became the first American pope on Thursday, frequently used social media to subtly push back on the Trump administration and its policies,” The Hill reports.

“Prevost, now known as Pope Leo XIV, shared columns that disputed Vice President Vance’s interpretation of Christian ‘ordo amoris,’ ranking order of love, in February; linked to an article that lambasted Trump’s ‘anti-immigrant rhetoric’ as dangerous in 2015; and reposted messages against the death penalty, migrant deportations and Congress’s inaction on gun laws after deadly shootings.”

Daily Beast: New Pope Leo XIV bashed Trump and J.D. Vance on Twitter just weeks ago.

Associated Press: “Francis brought Prevost, 69, to the Vatican in 2023 to serve as the powerful head of the office that vets bishop nominations from around the world, one of the most important jobs in the Catholic Church.”

“As a result, Prevost had a prominence going into the conclave that few other cardinals have.”

Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, who was born in Chicago, was elected Pope.

He’ll be known as Pope Leo XIV.

He’s the first American Pope in history.

“White smoke puffed from a chimney above the Sistine Chapel on Thursday, signaling that the 133 cardinals sequestered inside for two days have elected a new pope to lead the world’s 1.4 billion Roman Catholics,” the New York Times reports.

“The identity of the new pontiff is not yet known but is expected to be announced shortly. A large crowd in St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City prepared for the new pope to emerge on a balcony overlooking the square.”