Columnist Gustavo Arellano talks about the election of the first pope from the United States, Pope Leo XIV and how he believes it is a call for Americans to be better people.

Newly elected Pope Leo XIV's significance as leader of the Catholic Church is beyond dispute, but the papacy's role has historically extended far beyond the altar and pews. For more than a century, the papacy has shaped American affairs—through spiritual and cultural guidance—but also by quietly influencing major geopolitical shifts and cultural developments.

I just didn’t think there would be an American pope in this geopolitical climate,” one respondent said. The post The new pope is American. Here’s why readers are surprised. appeared first on Boston.com.