In his inaugural appearance on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, the newly elected Pope Leo XIV offered the world a glimpse into his likely priorities as leader of the 1.4 billion-member Catholic Church.
Leo, formerly US Cardinal Robert Prevost, becomes the first pope from the United States, while also holding Peruvian citizenship.
His decades of missionary work in Peru preceded his elevation to cardinal and succeeded Pope Francis, who died last month.
The new pontiff’s choice of name, often a significant indicator of a pope’s intentions, provides the first clue.
Recalling Pope Francis’s adoption of his name from the 13th-century St. Francis of Assisi, champion of the poor, Leo XIV’s selection evokes the legacy of Leo XIII.
The latter, who led the Church from 1878 to 1903, notably championed workers’ rights, advocating for fair wages, decent working conditions, and the right to unionise.
“By picking the name Leo XIV, he shows he is committed to the social teaching of the church,” said Rev. Thomas Reese, a Jesuit commentator who follows the papacy closely.
Leo’s second clue was his choice of language and the words he spoke, which put a clear emphasis on the need for peace, something Francis also often focused on.
None of his speech to the crowds gathered in St. Peter’s Square was in English, but rather Italian, the language of the papacy, and a brief foray into Spanish to greet his former community in Peru. He did not mention the US.
“La pace sia con tutti voi!” (Peace be with you!), Leo’s first words in public, echoed the ones Catholics use in their celebrations but also offered an immediate message of peace in a world riven with conflict.
Before heading into the secret conclave on May 7, the world’s cardinals issued a statement lamenting the conflicts “in Ukraine, the Middle East, and many other parts of the world” and making a “heartfelt appeal” for peace.
The new pope said he wanted to share God’s peace, calling it “a disarmed peace and a disarming peace” that is “humble and persevering.”
Leo also mentioned Francis, who offered his last blessing to crowds in Rome on Easter Sunday, the day before he died of a stroke after battling double pneumonia for weeks.
“We still have in our ears that weak, but always courageous voice of Pope Francis,” he said.
Leo asked permission to offer the same blessing Francis used just a few weeks ago, saying: “God loves us, God loves everyone, and evil will not prevail. We are in the hands of God.”
Leo’s third clue was in his choice of attire.
Unlike Francis, who spurned all the trappings of the papacy including on the first day he was elected in 2013, Leo wore a traditional red papal garment over his white cassock.
Although Leo follows in the tradition of Francis, he signalled he is a new, and different, pope.
