Catholics for Catholics CEO John Yep told Newsmax Thursday that whether Pope Leo XIV has spoken out about controversial issues before as some reports have indicated, his record as the Pope “starts right now.”

The first American Pope in the Catholic Church’s nearly 2,000-year history was elected Thursday afternoon on the fourth ballot, to the surprise of many who were expecting a different outcome due to the long-standing taboo of a Pope from the United States.

A New York Times report from last week suggested that while serving as a bishop in Peru,  Leo opposed a government plan to add teachings on gender in schools.

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