The Vatican announced Friday that Pope Leo XIV, the first U.S.-born leader of the Roman Catholic Church, will be formally installed as pope at a Mass on May 18 and will preside over his first general audience on May 21.
Pope Leo, born Robert Prevost in Chicago, addressed the cardinals who elected him as the 267th pontiff during his first Mass as pope in the Sistine Chapel, where his election took place on Thursday. Speaking off-the-cuff in English, the 69-year-old Augustinian missionary reflected on the gravity of his new role, describing it as both a cross to bear and a blessing.
“You have called me to carry that cross and to be blessed with that mission, and I know I can rely on each and every one of you to walk with me as we continue as a church, as a community, as friends of Jesus, as believers, to announce the good news, to announce the Gospel,” he said.
The election of a U.S.-born pope represents a significant break with tradition, overcoming the long-standing concern that a pontiff from the world’s most powerful secular nation might complicate the Church’s global mission.
Continuing Francis’ Legacy
Leo’s initial Mass featured two women delivering the readings of Scripture, a possible nod to his intention to continue the reforms of his predecessor, Pope Francis, who sought to expand the role of women in the Church. As a cardinal, Leo had already put this vision into practice, appointing three women to the influential Vatican board that vets bishop nominations.
In his homily, delivered in near-perfect Italian, the new pope lamented the challenges facing the modern Church, including what he described as a “state of practical atheism” among many baptized Christians.
“This is true not only among non-believers but also among many of the baptized, who thus end up living at this level, in a state of practical atheism,” he said. “This is the world that has been entrusted to us, a world in which, as Pope Francis taught us so many times, we are called to bear witness to joyful faith in Christ the Savior.”
Leo also criticized a culture that prioritizes “technology, money, success, power, pleasure” over faith, describing such environments as challenging yet critical mission fields for the Church.
Following the Mass, the Vatican announced that Leo had asked all Vatican leaders, who technically lost their positions upon the death of Pope Francis on April 21, to remain in their roles until he decides whether to confirm them.
As he left the Sistine Chapel, Leo was seen wearing simple black shoes, echoing his predecessor’s preference for humility over the red loafers favored by some previous popes.
The cardinals present responded to his message with applause, marking the beginning of a new era in the Church under its first American leader.
