Eight centuries ago, St. Francis of Assisi composed a poem that remains familiar today, inspiring hymns, art and the titles of two of the late Pope Francis’ teaching documents on integral ecology.

Catholics in the U.S. “like what they’ve seen so far” in Pope Leo XIV, with 8 in 10 viewing the new pope favorably — and significant numbers of non-Catholics agreeing, according to a new study from Pew Research Center.

As Pope Leo XIV neared his 70th birthday Sept. 14, those closest to the American-born pontiff said they knew, very early on, that he was in for lifelong service to the church.

At a time when people feel powerless to help migrants and refugees, Christians must continue to insist that “there is no justice without compassion, no legitimacy without listening to the pain of others,” Pope Leo XIV said.

It’s a nonstop annual slog in which 50 teen boys, all at least 18 years old and chosen by lottery, walk more than 300 miles through a dystopian Midwest landscape, using their own food supplies with water provided, for as long as the walk lasts.