Vatican City – “The Church offers everyone its heritage of social doctrine to respond to another industrial revolution and to the developments of artificial intelligence, which bring new challenges for the defense of human dignity, justice and work.”
With these words, Pope Leo XIV addressed the cardinals gathered in the Vatican this morning for his first official meeting since his election. The Pontiff explained that he chose the name Leo in reference to Leo XIII and his historic encyclical “Rerum Novarum,” which addressed the social question during the first industrial revolution.
“You, dear Cardinals, are the Pope's closest collaborators, and this is a great comfort to me in accepting a yoke that is clearly far beyond my strength, or that of anyone else,” began Leo XIV, underlining the weight of his new mission but also his trust in the support of the College of Cardinals and of the faithful throughout the world.
The Pontiff recalled his role as a "humble servant of God and of his brothers", recalling the example of "many of my predecessors, most recently that of Pope Francis himself, with his style of full dedication in service and sober essentiality in life".
Leo XIV then expressed his desire to continue the Church's journey "in the wake of the Second Vatican Council", recalling the contents of Pope Francis' Apostolic Exhortation "Evangelii gaudium", with particular attention to the primacy of Christ, missionary conversion, growth in synodality, the "sensus fidei", care for the least and dialogue with the contemporary world.
“These are principles of the Gospel that have always animated and inspired the life and work of the Family of God, values through which the merciful face of the Father has revealed itself and continues to reveal itself,” added the Pontiff.
Behind the scenes on the Conclave: “Prevost had more than a hundred votes”
Meanwhile, the first behind-the-scenes information is emerging about the Conclave that led to the election of Leo XIV. The cardinal of Madagascar Désiré Tsarahazana, metropolitan archbishop of Toamasina, declared upon leaving the meeting: “This morning’s meeting went very well, we also spoke about the need to make the church more collegial. He is an excellent Pope and he had much more than 100 votes”.
Parolin: “I understand the ‘support’ for me but we need the logic of the Church”
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican Secretary of State, commented in a message sent to the Giornale di Vicenza on the “support” that his homeland had shown for his possible election. “The ‘support’ of the people of Vicenza in my favor (humanly understandable, I think), in the end must be overcome according to a different logic, of faith and of the Church,” wrote the cardinal, in his first public statement after the Conclave.
First commitments of the Pontificate
The first Regina Coeli is scheduled for tomorrow from the central Loggia of St. Peter's. Pope Leo XIV will preside over the Mass marking the beginning of his pontificate on Sunday, May 18, for which up to 250 faithful and leaders from around the world are expected. The Pontiff has provisionally confirmed all of his Curia duties and will remain in his apartment at the Holy Office for now, awaiting work on the Apostolic Palace.
Article published on May 10, 2025 - 15:50 pm
