This morning, Australians woke to find a new pope had been elected.
Just after 6pm local time, white smoke billowed from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican, as tens of thousands of Catholic faithful watched from St Peter's Square.
After two days and four ballots, the 133 cardinals in the conclave chose 69-year-old US-born Robert Prevost, a surprising choice to many.
Prevost, who has taken the name Leo XIV, is the first-ever American pope.
When he greeted the masses from the balcony of St Peter's Basilica, he called on the world to "come together as one people, always in peace", before paying homage to his predecessor, Pope Francis.
So, where does Pope Leo XIV stand on the biggest issues facing the Catholic Church today?
How does he see the role of the Church?
While he's not quite Francis 2.0, Pope Leo could be described as Francis 1.5, says Shaun Blanchard, a lecturer in theology at the University of Notre Dame.
His leadership style and priorities for the church align broadly with those of his predecessor, though he is said to be more reserved than Pope Francis.
Commonly called "the people's pope", Francis valued pastoral care and focused on bringing the teachings of the Church to the poor and marginalised.
"I think one reason that Prevost was elected is that he's in favour of Pope Francis' policy of synodality; this idea of deliberative consultation at every level of the church," Dr Blanchard says.
"I suspect what happened in the conclave is that there were enough cardinals who wanted to go in this same general direction as Pope Francis, but they perhaps also wanted a man who might be able to reach out to some of the more conservative members of the church."
Born in Chicago, Pope Leo lived and worked in Peru for more than 20 years and became a citizen.
Dr Blanchard says this makes him likely to continue Francis' emphasis on ministering to the Global South.
"They say he's the first North American Pope, which is true, but he's also really very much a Pope of the Americas," he says.
"He's very much embedded in Latino culture … so I think he'll be very much a pope of the people, but it'll manifest in a different style than Francis."
How will he deal with global conflict?
One of the key issues facing the Catholic Church — reportedly a key point of discussion during the conclave — is how the pontiff will mediate conflict and war, especially in Ukraine, Gaza and Sudan.
Perhaps signalling his approach, Pope Leo used his opening address to share his vision of the church as one of "peace and justice", with a focus on "building bridges".
Appointed by Pope Francis as Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops and the president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America in 2023, Pope Leo has substantial administrative experience in the Roman Curia, the Vatican's governing body.
However, he has limited experience in international diplomacy.
"He would be seeing the Church's role as a mediating role, calling for disarmament, calling for peaceful measures to resolve these conflicts," Dr Blanchard says.
"My suspicion is he's going to delegate some of this and seek advice from the people in the Vatican and the Catholic world who are on the ground."
What's his stance on climate change?
Pope Leo has previously signalled his support for Pope Francis' commitment to combating climate change.
In a seminar in November 2024, Leo stressed it was time to move "from words to action" and that "dominion over nature" should not become "tyrannical".
Dr Blanchard describes the new pontiff as "completely on the same page with Pope Francis" when it comes to environmentalism.
Lorna Gold, the executive director of Laudato Si' Movement — a global network of Catholic organisations inspired by Pope Francis to address the climate crisis — said Pope Leo's election marked "a time of unity and bold action".
"Pope Leo XIV is the pope needed at this moment: a man who stands for unity, peace, and action for our planet," she said in a statement.
What has he said about migration?
Pope Leo's stance on migration also aligns with that of Pope Francis, who was famously sympathetic to the cause.
His long-time home, Peru, hosts the highest number of Venezuelan asylum-seekers globally. His diocese in Chiclayo in the country's north relies heavily on migrants for its agricultural industry.
The new pope has previously spoken out via social media against the Trump administration's immigration policies. On X, an account under his name shared articles entitled "Why Donald Trump's anti-immigrant rhetoric is so problematic" and "JD Vance is wrong: Jesus doesn't ask us to rank our love for others".
"He's very strong on that issue, very much cut from the same cloth as Pope Francis," Dr Blanchard says.
"I think this is going to be a real emphasis of his pontificate."
Following the papal election, Colombian President Gustavo Petro issued a statement expressing his hope that Pope Leo "becomes a great leader for migrants around the world".
How will he deal with social politics?
Pope Leo appears to be aligned with his predecessor on the role of women in the Catholic Church.
During a Vatican news conference in 2023, he said "women can add a great deal to the life of the church on many different levels", though he warned that "clericalising women" might "make a new problem".
However, like Pope Francis, he affirms the Church's ban on women being ordained as priests.
His views on LGBTQIA+ rights may diverge from those of Pope Francis, who was relatively progressive in this space.
In a 2012 address to bishops, Pope Leo reportedly accused Western media of promoting "sympathy for beliefs and practices that are at odds with the Gospel". Those beliefs included the "homosexual lifestyle" and "alternative families".
During his post as bishop of Chiclayo, he opposed a government initiative to teach issues around gender identity in schools, telling local news outlets it would seek "to create genders that don't exist".
Dr Blanchard says his approach to LGBTQIA+ issues will be under scrutiny.
"Does he meet with gay couples? How does he speak of including gay couples in the life of a parish?" he says.
"The extent to which he maps onto the path of Pope Francis or not will no doubt be watched very, very closely."
On other social issues, like abortion and euthanasia, Pope Leo is likely to support the Catholic Church's firm opposition.
How will he tackle the clerical abuse crisis?
Handling the ongoing fallout of the clerical sex abuse crisis in the Catholic Church was likely a significant point of discussion during the conclave.
"I can't imagine that the cardinals would elect a man who they think doesn't understand the problem or isn't willing to continue the slow but positive momentum in this area," Dr Blanchard says.
Before the papal election, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests released an open letter calling on the new pontiff to bring in a "truly universal zero tolerance law for sexual abuse and cover-up" by clergy.
Upon Pope Leo's election, a spokesperson for the group said they were "gravely concerned" about his appointment.
Like several other high-profile Catholic clergy — including Pope Francis himself — Pope Leo has faced criticism over his perceived inaction regarding child sexual abuse.
Advocates say he did not do enough to support three victims of alleged abuse in his Peruvian diocese and criticise his dealings with child sex abuser Father James Ray in Chicago.
