GEOFF BENNETT: For more on Pope Leo XIV and what he means for both the church and for the world's 1.4 billion Catholics, we turn now to two guests, both in Rome.

Kim Daniels is the director of the Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life at Georgetown University.

She's also a member of the department overseeing communications for the Vatican.

AMNA NAWAZ: And Father Thomas Reese is senior analyst for Religion News Service and author of "Inside the Vatican: The Politics and Organization of the Catholic Church."

Welcome to you both.

Father Reese, I want to start with you.

For the first time in history, an American pope.

What's your reaction to the selection and also how Pope Leo XIV first addressed the world?

REV.

THOMAS REESE, Religion News Service: It was a real shock to have an American elected as pope.

We never thought this would happen.

I think that he made a very good impression, especially by picking the name Leo.

Leo XIII, his predecessor, was the one who started the church on the road towards Catholic social teaching and social justice, and -- because in the 19th century, he was on the side of the working class.

He was on the side of labor unions.

He was on the side of the poor people of his time.

And I think that's exactly what the new Pope Leo is also going to do.

GEOFF BENNETT: And, Kim Daniels, what does the rather quick election of Pope Leo suggest about the cardinals' priorities and the direction they hope to set for the church?

KIM DANIELS, Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life Director, Georgetown University: I think it's a sign of how much Catholics share in common.

There's a lot of focus on division, but it's a sign of the consensus that built very quickly around Cardinal Prevost, now Pope Leo.

I think it's also a sign of what their priorities are here, and that is to continue Pope Francis' vision of spiritual renewal and structural reform.

Pope Leo is someone who has the skills, the experience, the heart, to be able to implement those processes, those reforms, but also this heart for mercy and accompanying the poor and going out and not inward, right, but going outward.

That really was at the heart of Pope Francis' vision.

So it's really a remarkable and extraordinary moment.

GEOFF BENNETT: And, Father Reese, as the first American-born pope in the history of the Catholic Church, how might he be able to address the growing disaffiliation of Catholics in the U.S.?

REV.

THOMAS REESE: Well, of course, he's been elected pope for the whole world, so he's got to deal with all the world, not just the United States.

But because of his knowledge of the United States, I think he will be focused on it.

What can we do to reach out to young people?

How can we make the church more inviting?

Pope Francis was wonderful, but the problem was everybody said to themselves, gee, I wish I had Pope Francis as my pastor.

And then they would go into their parish and they often didn't find Pope Francis.

So I think that what Pope Leo has to do is help the clergy in the United States get on board with the vision that Pope Francis has, and now the vision that Pope Leo is bringing to the church.

AMNA NAWAZ: Kim Daniels, among the many challenges ahead for the new pope will be, of course, addressing the sexual abuse scandal.

We saw today a statement from the group SNAP, which is the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, saying what they say are allegations of the times that Leo failed to conduct adequate investigations into accusations in his diocese in Peru, of also, they say, allowing a priest who faced his own abuse allegations to live in a friary near a Catholic elementary school in Chicago.

Again, we don't have more information other than these allegations at the time, but can he face these allegations and still lead the church on this issue?

KIM DANIELS: You know, of course, the first thing we have to say whenever we talk about this issue is that the priority is to listen to victim survivors and to make sure that we put accountability and transparency front and center.

And so, of course, that's our responsibility here.

I will say that there are many publications that have looked into this and have talked about Pope Leo responding in the way that was the standard at the time.

And I just saw yesterday, I believe it was yesterday, another group out here, Bishop Accountability, talked about the fact that an American coming into this position brings the kind of sensibility around this issue, meaning zero tolerance, meaning an idea that we really need to have accountability, in a way that many others might not because we have really focused on this issue very much so in the United States.

Again, not resolved it, much more to be done, but my understanding is that Pope Leo has really -- took the steps that he could at the time and, again, brings that sensibility of accountability and transparency to the conversation.

AMNA NAWAZ: Father Reese, what's your take on that?

And also what do you see ahead as some of the biggest challenges for this pope?

REV.

THOMAS REESE: Well, there are so many huge challenges.

I mean, you have to look at the pope as a leader in the world, but also a leader in the church.

And, in the world, we have all these problems of war, of climate change, of refugees, of people starving.

And the world seems -- world government seem to be just not caring anymore about what's happening.

And so he has to be a prophetic voice for peace, for justice, for the disenfranchised, for protecting the environment.

And then he's got to look at his own church.

In the north, the Global North, we have a declining number of clergy.

We have young people turning away from the church.

And we have to figure out how to preach the Gospel of Jesus to the people in the 21st century to get across his mission of -- his message of mercy, compassion, and that how we should respond to God's love by loving one another.

This is a big task that he has.

AMNA NAWAZ: Father Reese, when it comes to some of the other divisive issues the church has grappled with, things like birth control and divorce and LGBTQ rights, do you see this pope moving further towards the progressive side, as his predecessor, Pope Francis, did?

REV.

THOMAS REESE: Well, Pope Francis was unusual, in that he allowed open discussion of these kinds of issues.

But, even more important, he was welcoming and embraced people who disagreed or couldn't follow the church's teaching.

On the other hand, he never changed any church doctrine.

I wouldn't be surprised if Pope Leo followed the exact same pattern.

GEOFF BENNETT: And, Kim Daniels, to the degree that these challenges present opportunities, what do you hope to see from Pope Leo's leadership moving forward?

KIM DANIELS: I was really struck by how much Pope Leo talked about principles of Catholic social teaching in his remarks today.

And, of course, taking the name Leo XIV is really a sign that principles like a commitment to human life and dignity, the dignity of work and the rights of workers, and a poor church for the poor, making sure that we prioritize that, are all going to be key considerations.

I also was struck by the fact that he talked about walking with the people of God.

And this, to me, signals a real commitment to Pope Francis' signature reform and renewal effort called the synod, which was about walking with people, making sure that we increase participation and include people, laypeople, in particular women, those who have felt excluded, in leadership and in decisions in the church.

So I'm very hopeful about that.

GEOFF BENNETT: Kim Daniels and Father Thomas Reese, we thank you both for your insights this evening.

REV.

THOMAS REESE: It's good to be with you.