Welcome to the News Hour. Pope Leo the 14th celebrated his first Mass less than 24 hours after being elected the leader of the Catholic Church.

He's not only the first pontiff from the U.S., but also the first Augustinian friar to lead the church's 1.4 billion members.

Pope Leo brings decades of international experience from serving as a missionary

and bishop in Peru to a senior Vatican official in charge of overseeing bishops around the world.

That perspective shaped the tone he struck in today's homily.

To the ministry of Peter, you have called me to carry that cross and to be blessed with that mission.

And I know I can rely on each and every one of you to walk with me as we continue, as a church,

as a community of friends of Jesus as believers, to announce the good news, to announce the gospel.

To tell us more about what shaped Pope Leo's views and who he is, we're joined now by the Reverend Robert Hagan, prior provincial, of the Augustinian province of St. Thomas of Villanova and a longtime friend of the Pope.

Thanks for being with us.

My pleasure. You first met Pope Leo, as I understand it, when you were beginning your own

journey as an Augustinian. What were your first impressions of him back then? I did. You know,

you don't have to be in his company very long before you come to realize he's

incredibly bright.

He speaks multiple languages.

He's conversant on many different subjects.

He's a critical thinker.

He has a certain depth of spirituality.

And he's a very, he expresses himself very, with a lot of spirituality. And he's a very, he expresses himself very with a lot of clarity and in concise,

intelligible, relatable ways. And I knew him as kind of a new person in the order. I was a

transplant from the East Coast to the Midwest where he served in his province of our mother of good counsel at the order. I was a transplant from the East Coast to the Midwest where he served in his province

of our mother of good counsel at the time in the Midwest. He couldn't have been more welcoming.

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