Pope Leo XIV will take questions from international pressmen at a news conference on Monday.

The Pope is expected to address several hundred journalists who have been reporting from the Vatican since the death of his predecessor, Pope Francis, last month.

The new pontiff, formerly Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost of Chicago, was elected on Thursday as the head of the Roman Catholic Church and its 1.

The question-and-answer session may offer insights into how he intends to lead the Church and the key issues he plans to prioritize.

At 69, Pope Leo XIV is the first pope from the United States and the second from the Americas, following Pope Francis.

His inauguration Mass is scheduled to take place on Sunday in St. Peter’s Square.(dpa/NAN)

 China on Friday congratulated the newly elected Pope Leo XIV and expressed hope for a “steady” improvement in relations with the Vatican.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman, Lin Jian stated this while speaking with reporters in the Chinese capital.

According to Lin, he hopes that under the new Pope’s leadership, the Vatican will continue dialogue with China in a constructive spirit, deepen communication on international issues of mutual concern.

He also expressed hope that they would continue to work together to steadily advance China-Vatican relations, while contributing to global peace, stability, development, and prosperity.

The Vatican on Tuesday announced that American Cardinal Robert Prevost had been elected as the new Pope, taking the name Leo XIV.

He is the first American-born pontiff in the history of the Catholic Church.

In 2024, Beijing had extended a provisional agreement with the Holy See by four years regarding the appointment of bishops.

The agreement which allows both sides to have a role in selecting bishops for China’s Catholic community, which numbers around 12 million in the world’s second most populous countr. (AA/NAN)

The Vatican on Friday announced that Pope Leo XIV’s inauguration will take place on May 18 with a mass in St. Peter’s Square, following his election to succeed Pope Francis.

The ceremony is to take place at 10a.m (0800 GMT) May 18 at the Vatican.

Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost was announced as the first U.

The new pope is set to keep Francis’ top employees in the Vatican in place for the time being, the Holy See said.

The first of his weekly general audiences is planned for May 21. (dpa/NAN)