India, May 21 -- With deep ties to both the United States and Peru, Pope Leo steps into spiritual leadership of 1.4 billion Catholics, inheriting a Church divided by doctrine, challenged by global crises, and yearning for unity, reform, and renewal

The world's attention has been on Rome for the past few days. The Catholics have made history with the election of Robert Francis Prevost, a 69-year-old American cardinal of Spanish descent.

He has taken over as the 267th occupant of the throne of St Peter. This momentous event, the first time an American has ascended to the papacy in the 2000-year history of the Catholic Church, is a significant milestone.

The Pope is the leader of the Roman Catholic Church. He guides about 1.4 billion Cath...