The pontiff broke the news to 'NBC Nightly News' anchor Lester Holt, a former CBS2 Chicago anchor, in a brief one-on-one chat at the Vatican on Monday. Leo says he's heard that people are coming back to the church as a result of an American being named pontiff.

"This is the first greeting of the risen Christ. May the peace be with you," Leo said in Italian in his first remarks as pope.

The Catholic Church’s financial deficit only grew under Francis, and mere months before he died, Francis warned in a letter that the Vatican’s pension fund was in serious trouble and would require “d...