There are early signs that Pope Leo XIV is capitalizing on a moment of euphoria for Catholics and gaining traction within a divided church.

Rolwing's calling comes as the Catholic Church in the U.S. faces a serious priest shortage. Between 1970 and 2024, the number of priests fell by more than 40%, from 59,192 to 33,589, according to numbers from Georgetown's Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate, or CARA.

I met the man who would become Pope Leo XIV in October 2023. We were standing outside the Vatican’s Synod Hall, and from my short conversation with Cardinal Robert Prevost, I could tell he was a good listener,