In his first public address from the balcony overlooking St. Peter’s Square, newly elected Pope Leo XIV spoke on Thursday evening about peace, a synodal Church that builds bridges, and stands with the poor.
He began his speech with the greeting of the risen Christ: “Peace be with you all!”
“I would like this greeting of peace to enter our hearts, to reach everyone, every nation: Peace be with you,” he said.
He described the peace of the risen Christ as an unarmed, disarming peace—humble and enduring—coming from God, who loves us all unconditionally. He recalled the gentle yet courageous voice of Pope Francis blessing Rome and the world just days earlier, on Easter Sunday morning.
“Allow me to continue that same blessing: God loves you, God loves all of you. Evil will not prevail. We are all in God’s hands, and so, without fear, hand in hand with God who is among us, let us move forward,” he urged.
Pope Leo emphasized that as disciples of Christ, we walk behind Him, and the world needs His light like a bridge through which God and His love reach us. “Help each other build bridges through dialogue and encounters, so that we may be one people always living in peace,” he said.
The new pope thanked Pope Francis and expressed his gratitude to the cardinals for electing him as Peter’s successor, to walk together as a united Church in search of peace and justice, working hand in hand—men and women alike—faithfully proclaiming the Gospel without fear.
A member of the Augustinian Order, he quoted St. Augustine: “With you I am a Christian, for you I am a bishop.” He added that in this spirit, we can all begin the journey toward the homeland God has prepared for us.
Greeting the Church of Rome, he stressed: “We must seek how to be a missionary Church, one that builds bridges of dialogue and is always open to welcome and inclusion.”
In Spanish, he gave a special greeting to the Diocese of Chiclayo in Peru, where, he said, the meaning of being a Church faithful to Christ is especially felt.
He concluded by emphasizing: “We want to be a synodal Church—always journeying, always seeking peace and love, and always striving to be close to those who suffer.”
At the end of his address, Pope Leo XIV led the gathered faithful in praying the “Hail Mary” for the new mission of the Church, for the whole Church, and for peace in the world.
Robert Francis Prevost: The First American Pope
Robert Francis Prevost, the first American head of the Catholic Church, was born on September 14, 1955, in Chicago to a family of French origin.
He earned a BA in mathematics in 1977, entered the Augustinian Order the same year, took his perpetual vows in 1981, and was ordained a priest in 1982. He received his doctorate in theology in Rome in 1987. In 1988, he was sent to Peru to oversee the formation of Augustinian candidates across several missionary vicariates. In 1998, he was appointed prior provincial of the Mother of Good Counsel Province in Chicago and returned to the U.S. In 2001, he was elected Prior General of the Order, responsible for its global leadership and governance.
Pope Francis appointed him apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Chiclayo, Peru, in 2014 and made him a titular bishop. He was consecrated on December 12 that year.
In 2020, he became the apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Callao. In 2023, he was appointed Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops and was elevated to cardinal on September 30, 2023.
(Source: MTI)
Photo: vaticannews.va
