L.A. is a capital of Catholicism. It has direct and indirect ties to the new pope

Good morning. Here’s what you need to know to start your day. I’m Gustavo Arellano, Times metro columnist and proud Catholic, writing from Orange County.

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Los Angeles and Pope Leo XIV

One way or another, billowing white smoke was destined to be on my agenda yesterday.

I assumed I would only see it at Heritage Barbecue in San Juan Capistrano, the James Beard-nominated spot where brisket is gospel and banana pudding is a sacrament. But just as I was getting on the 5 South, news broke that white smoke had also emerged from the chimney at the Sistine Chapel — the traditional sign that the College of Cardinals had selected a new pope to lead the world’s 1.4 billion Roman Catholics.

Man, God just won’t let me have a day off!

Two days ago, Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost headed the Dicastery for Bishops, the arm of the Vatican charged with selecting bishops. History will now remember him as Pope Leo XIV, the first-ever American-born pontifex maximus.

Although Pope Leo is a Chicago native, his selection resonated across Los Angeles.

L.A. is one of the capitals of Catholicism in the United States and a place with direct and indirect ties to him. St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Ojai and Our Mother of Good Counsel in Los Feliz are run by the Augustinians, a religious order Pope Leo XIV once headed. His decades of ministry in Peru — first as an Augustinian missionary, then as bishop of the Diocese of Chiclayo — hits home for the tens of thousands of Peruvians who live in Southern California, especially those who hold an annual Catholic commemoration in Orange County for a sacred Peruvian painting of Jesus known as El Señor de los Milagros.

In his first speech, Pope Leo praised his predecessor, Pope Francis, for his “brave” voice and reassured the crowd before him that “without fear, united, hand in hand with God and among ourselves, we will go forward” in a rapidly changing world where “evil will not prevail.”

The new pontifex maximus has much work ahead of him to wrangle the faithful into unity.

A well-funded conservative movement with ties to Southern California has labored to sunset the Church’s decades-long commitment to social justice. More progressive members will continue to push the Vatican on the ordination of women and gay marriage, the latter which Pope Leo has spoken out against in the past. Meanwhile, the shadow of the clerical sex-abuse scandal, which has led to billions of dollars in payouts in the United States alone, continues to hang over the Vatican like a millstone around its neck.

I could’ve talked to visitors at Mission San Juan Capistrano, which is across the street from Heritage, about their thoughts on the new pope. But I had a longstanding, long-canceled lunch date with Anthony Rendon, the longtime speaker of the Assembly who’s now a lecturer at the Jesuit-run Loyola Marymount — and God wasn’t going to get in the way of that.

I asked Rendon what he thought about Leo XIV.

“Not sure if it’s the right time for an American to bring people together,” he cracked, before thinking about it more. “My sister just sent me something that says he’s said good things about social justice, poverty and climate — that seems to be promising.”

I asked Rendon — whose home parish growing up was St. Bruno’s in Whittier — what he would tell the new pope, American to American.

“It’s great to have a leader from something more meaningful than a nation,” Rendon responded. “Your constituency is international, but people will see you as an American, something that people neither need nor want. He’s distinguished himself from Trump already, and that’s good. The potential beauty of the church is in its scope and reach, and [Pope Leo] needs to embrace that.”

We packed up our leftovers. Walking past the mission on the way to my car, I saw a massive tour bus. Etched in chrome on the back was its brand: Prevost.

God, forever reminding that there’s always work to be done.

More on the new pope

• Much like L.A., this American-born pope transcends borders

Today’s top stories

People enjoy the sun down by Shoreline Village during a hot day in Long Beach.

(William Liang/For The Times)

It’s going to get hot!

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Project 2025

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The newest election integrity poll

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L.A.’s budget crisis

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A new page for L.A. community college

• The new Chancellor of L.A. community college Alberto J. Román pledged a ‘culture of accountability.’
• His predecessor stepped down unexpectedly last year amid faculty tensions and lawsuits.

What else is going on

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• Fatal opioid overdoses in the state are receding, but doctors and L.A. County officials warn federal funding cuts could jeopardize the progress.
• Some California drivers are getting free cash in their bank accounts. What you need to know.
• An undocumented grandmother faces deportation after taking a wrong turn in San Diego.

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Commentary and opinions

• Warren Buffett’s successor got his start selling clean energy. Now he defends coal, writes columnist Sammy Roth.
• What to give Americans for Mother’s Day? More than a baby bonus, says contributor Aine Seitz McCarthy.

This morning’s must reads

(Illustration by Stephanie Jones / Los Angeles Times; images by Eric Thayer, Marc Guitard, George Rose, Heidi Patricola, Icon Sports Wire, and mrdoomits / Getty Images, and Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times.alt)

22 Angelenos share the moment they knew they had become an L.A. ‘local.’ From experiencing their first earthquake to mastering L.A.’s complex freeway system, 22 Angelenos share when they felt like a true local.

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For your downtime

The plato de birria con pistola at Birrieria Barajas.

(Andrea D’Agosto/For The Times)

Going out

• 🎭 ‘Life of Pi’ opens at the Ahmanson.
• 🌮 8 favorite birria and barbacoa tacos to try from the 101 Best Tacos guide

Staying in

• 📖 Ron Chernow has written biographies about great men before, but in Mark Twain he tackled a larger than life character full of contradictions.
• 📖 Awake in the Floating City’ finds hope — and artistry — in a submerged San Francisco.
• 🥗 Here’s a recipe for Sweet Butter’s Coffee Doughnut Muffins
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Thanks for sharing your career advice!

So many of you emailed the best career advice you’ve ever gotten! Thank you. Here are some more great responses.

Felicia says: “The most important part of every meeting is the preparation for it.”
Sue-Ann says: “Not all your coworkers have your best interests at heart.” Who hurt you, Sue-Ann?
Gloria says: “Always greet people with a smile, including and especially your co-workers, no matter how you feel.”

Stay tuned for a new question next week. (Feel free to suggest a question for readers by sending an email to essentialcalifornia@latimes.com.)

And finally ... your photo of the day

Buildings along Tuna Street on Terminal Island have been placed on the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s 2025 list of America’s 11 most endangered historic places.

(Los Angeles Conservancy)

Today’s great photo is from the Los Angeles Conservancy, of buildings along Tuna Street on Terminal Island. These buildings have just been placed on a list of the 11 most endangered historic places.

Have a great day, from the Essential California team

Gustavo Arellano, California columnist
Karim Doumar, head of newsletters

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