In a few weeks we have already received many teachings from the new Pope, Leo XIV. In the first days, his words were carefully examined by all, to discern the keys and orientations of his pontificate.
Where will the Church be guided by the new pontiff? we wanted to know. Well, Leo XIV himself has been sufficiently explicit in this regard. His first words, from the central lodge of the Vatican on the day of his election, were followed by clarifying interventions.
We present here those first words, the homily at the Mass with the cardinals and the speech at the subsequent meeting with them and, finally, the homily at the beginning of the Petrine ministry.
The risen Christ brings peace and unity
Like an echo of those of Christ on the day of his Resurrection, the words of the new Pope released everyone's baited breath in the Vatican square (May 8, 2022): "Peace be with you all! Dear brothers and sisters, this is the first greeting of the Risen Christ, the good shepherd who gave his life for the flock of God. I too would like this greeting of peace to enter your hearts, to reach your families, all people, wherever you are, all peoples, all the earth.Peace be with you!"
It is not just any peace, but the peace of the Risen Christ: "....a disarmed and disarming, humble and persevering peaceThe "love of God," which comes from God, who loves us all unconditionally.
Like Francis, whom the new Pope evoked in his first blessing to Rome and the whole world, Leo XIV also wishes to bless and assure the world of God's blessing and God's love, and its need to follow Christ:
"The world needs his light. Humanity needs him as a bridge to be reached by God and by his love. Help us too, and help each other to build bridges, with dialogue, with encounter, uniting us all to be one people always in peace. Thanks to Pope Francis!".
He thanked the cardinals for electing him and proposed to "to walk (...) as a united Church, always seeking peace and justice, always trying to work as men and women faithful to Jesus Christ, without fear, to proclaim the Gospel, to be missionaries.".
He declared as a son of St. Augustine: "With you I am a Christian and for you a bishop". He added: "In this sense, we can all walk together towards the homeland that God has prepared for us.". And he especially greeted the Church in Rome, which must be missionary, a bridge-builder, with its arms open to all, like St. Peter's Square.
He has come to Rome from Chiclayo (Peru) where he spent eight years as bishop and he remembers him - and is remembered there - with affection: "where a faithful people have accompanied their bishop, shared their faith and given so much, so much in order to remain a faithful Church of Jesus Christ.".
He expressed his desire to walk together, both in Chiclayo and in Rome. With this he linked: "We want to be a synodal Church, a Church that walks, a Church that always seeks peace, that always seeks charity, that always seeks to be close, especially to those who suffer.".
He ended by invoking the Virgin of Pompeii, whose invocation was celebrated on that day.
The Church, "lighthouse in the nights of the world".
The day after his election (9-V-2025), the Pope celebrated Mass Pro Ecclesia with the cardinals.
In Christ," he emphasized in his homily, "by his incarnation, the project of a mature and glorious humanity is united. "He has thus shown us a model of holy humanity that we can all imitate."and at the same time "the promise of an eternal destiny"which in itself "exceeds all our limits and capabilities".
Thus, on the one hand, the Christian project is a gift from God and, on the other hand, it is a path that corresponds to man to allow himself to be transformed. These two dimensions come together in Peter's response: "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God." (Mt 16:16); and also in that of his successors at the head of the Church, "..." (Mt 16:16); and also in that of his successors at the head of the Church, "...".beacon that illuminates the nights of the world"and this, added Leo XIV, "not so much because of the magnificence of its structures and the grandeur of its constructions - such as the monuments in which we find ourselves - but because of the sanctity of its members.".
Attitudes toward Christ
Faced with the question of Jesus-what do people say about the Son of Man (Mt 16:13)-Pope Prevost pointed out several possible answers (Jesus as a curious character to be watched, Jesus as a prophet...), then and also today, with other languages.
Christians, Leo XIV proposed, are called to bear witness to the faith like Peter, both on a personal level (through our daily conversion) and on the level of the Church, living that faith together and bringing it as Good News (cf. Lumen gentium, 1).
At this point in his homily, the Pope evoked the example of St. Ignatius of Antioch when he was on his way to Rome to be devoured by the wild beasts of the circus. He was writing to the Roman Christians, speaking of his death: "At that moment I will truly be a disciple of Christ, when the world will no longer see my body." (Letter to the Romans, IV, 1).
This, Pope Leo XIV pointed out, represents the unrenounceable commitment of those in the Church who exercise a ministry of authority: "To disappear so that Christ may remain, to become small so that He may be known and glorified. (cf. Jn 3:30), spending to the end so that no one lacks the opportunity to know and love him.".
And, applying it to himself in the form of a prayer, the Pope concluded:"May God grant me this grace, today and always, with the help of the tender intercession of Mary, Mother of the Church.".
In the footsteps of Vatican II and Francis
On Saturday, May 10, Leo XIV held a meeting with the College of Cardinals. In his brief address, he showed what he understood to be the essence of his ministry: "The Pope, from St. Peter to me, his unworthy successor, is a humble servant of God and of the brethren, and nothing more than this.". Because "is the Risen One, present in our midst, who protects and guides the Church"to the "holy People of God" who have been entrusted to us together with the mission of universal horizon.
In this regard, he proposed to renew together today "our full adherence to this path, to the path that the universal Church has been following for decades in the footsteps of Vatican Council II.".
He pointed out how Pope Francis has recalled and updated the content of the Council in his apostolic exhortation Evangelii gaudium (2013). Leo XIV emphasized six fundamental notes in it: "(1) the return to the primacy of Christ in the announcement (cf. n. 11); (2) the missionary conversion of the entire Christian community (cf. n. 9); (3) growth in collegiality and in synodality (cf. n. 33); (4) attention to the 'sensus fidei'. (cf. nn. 119-120), especially in its most characteristic and inclusive forms, such as popular piety (cfr. 123); (5) loving care for the weak and discarded (cf. n. 53); (6) courageous and trusting dialogue with the contemporary world in its different components and realities (cf. n. 84, and pastoral const. Gaudium et spes, 1-2)".
Finally, he responded to the reason for the name he has taken: Leo XIV: "There are several reasons, but the main one is because Pope Leo XIII, with the historic Encyclical Rerum novarum faced the social question in the context of the first great industrial revolution and today the Church offers to all its patrimony of social doctrine to respond to another industrial revolution and to the developments of artificial intelligence, which bring new challenges in the defense of human dignity, justice and labor.".
He concluded by recalling some words of St. Paul VI at the beginning of his Petrine ministry. He wished that over the world would pass "a great flame of faith and love that enlightens all men of good will, paving the ways of reciprocal collaboration and that attracts upon humanity, the abundance of divine benevolence, the very strength of God, without whose help nothing is worth anything and nothing is holy." (First message to the whole world Qui fausto die22 June 1963).
Love and unity, leaven of reconciliation
Finally, the homily at the beginning of the Petrine ministry (May 18, 2005) was based on the famous phrase of St. Augustine: "You have made us for yourself, [Lord,] and our heart is restless until it rests in you." (Confessions, 1, 1.1). The successor of Peter confirmed that "the Lord never abandons his people, he gathers them together when they are scattered and cares for them 'like a shepherd for his flock'. (Jer 31:10)."
The desire of the cardinals gathered in conclave was to elect a pastor capable of "to safeguard the rich heritage of the Christian faith and, at the same time, to look beyond it in order to face today's questions, concerns and challenges.".
And here is the result: "I was elected without any merit and, with fear and trepidation, I come to you as a brother who wants to become a servant of your faith and your joy, walking with you on the path of God's love, who wants us all united in a single family.".
Leo XIV stresses:"Love and unity: these are the two dimensions of the mission that Jesus entrusted to Peter"..
However, the question is: "How can Peter accomplish this task?" And it is answered: "The Gospel tells us that it is possible only because he has experienced in its God's infinite and unconditional love, even in the hour of failure and denial.".
In fact, the fundamental mission of strengthening unity in faith and communion, proper to the successor of Peter, is based on the love that Jesus has offered him and the "plus" of love that he asks of him in return.
In his words: "Peter is entrusted with the task of 'loving even more' and laying down his life for the flock". His ministry of Peter," he explained, "should be characterized by this oblative love, which is the reason why the Church of Rome presides in charity, for from there comes her authority. "It is never about trapping others with submission, with religious propaganda or with the means of power, but it is always and only about loving as Jesus did.".
St. Peter - continued Leo XIV - affirms that Christ is the cornerstone (Acts 4:11) and that all Christians have been constituted "living stones" to build the edifice of the Church in fraternal communion, which the Holy Spirit builds as unity in the coexistence of differences. Again a reference to St. Augustine: "All those who live in concord with the brethren and love their neighbors are those who make up the Church." (Sermon 359, 9).
And in a direct way the Pope expresses what he calls his "first great desire": a united Church, a sign of unity and communion, which becomes a leaven for a reconciled world".. Thus it is represented in the motto of its coat of arms, which it quotes at this time: "In the one Christ we are one." (Christians are one with Christ). A unity that wishes to extend to other religious paths and to all people of good will.
"This is the missionary spirit that should animate us, without closing ourselves in our small group or feeling superior to the world; we are called to offer the love of God to all, so that this unity that does not cancel out differences, but values the personal history of each person and the social and religious culture of each people, may be realized.".
"This is the hour of love!"exclaimed the Pope. And he summed up his message, concluding: "I am very grateful to the Pope.With the light and strength of the Holy Spirit, let us build a Church founded on the love of God and a sign of unity, a missionary Church that opens its arms to the world, that proclaims the Word, that allows itself to be challenged by history, and that becomes a leaven of harmony for humanity.".
