Goosebumps’: Pope Leo XIV Gives His First Speech as New Pontiff
‘Goosebumps’: Pope Leo XIV Gives His First Speech as New Pontiff
The new pope gave his first public speech, which attracted international notice and moved many in attendance.
Cardinal Robert Prevost made an appearance as Pope Leo XIV on the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica on Thursday, May 8, 2025.
He discussed peace, unity, and carrying on Pope Francis’ efforts in his first speech. His comments were heard well over the throng below.
“Peace be with all of you,” he started, highlighting the greeting’s universal meaning. He hoped it would reach people and families around the world and described it as a “disarming peace” based on humility and tenacity.
“The Pope who blessed Rome gave his blessing to the world, to the entire world, that Easter morning,” he remarked, referring to Pope Francis. Permit me to reiterate the same blessing: “God loves you all, God loves us, and evil will not win!”
He characterized Christ as a light that the world still seeks and exhorted the believers to proceed fearlessly, unified in faith.
he pope emphasized the Church’s responsibility in helping people in need and asked Christians to contribute to the building of bridges via communication and joint action.
Leo XIV also praised his old diocese of Chiclayo in Peru, thanked his fellow cardinals for their trust, and quoted Saint Augustine, who said, “With you I am a Christian and for you I am a bishop.”
“I hope that the Church will be missionary, open, and close to those who suffer,” he said.
He urged the faithful to join him in prayer for peace and direction as he embarks on his journey by announcing the day of the Supplication to Our Lady of Pompeii.
Online responses to the address were prompt. An observer commented, “Goosebumps.” “His remarks gave me real chills… peace and unity are exactly what our world needs right now,” someone else said. This new chapter for the Church gives me hope.
The pope’s message has wider ramifications for some spectators. One said, “And sent a message to Trump! 🙏🏼💙✝️” in reference to US President Donald Trump.
The statement, “He’s talking to you Donnie!” was repeated by another.
Others gave humorous answers. In reference to the U.S. president’s well-known practice of firing individuals, one joked about how long it may take for Trump to attempt to “fire” the pope.
Trump’s previous remarks about building walls were contrasted with the pope’s exhortation to “build bridges” in a different quote, implying a stark divergence in principles.
Another said they hoped the pope would stick to traditional Church teachings and voiced concern that the address sounded more progressive than they had anticipated.
Some emphasized the American heritage of the pope. One noted that although being born in the United States, he currently serves the Church worldwide.
Another said that, considering the historic circumstances of his election, it would have been significant to recall his homeland.
Former President Donald Trump also responded to the moment’s significance. Congratulating Prevost, he wrote on the official White House X page that it is “a Great Honor for our Country” to see an American elected pope.
“I’m excited to meet Pope Leo XIV.” It will be a moment of great significance,” he declared.
Even though Pope Leo XIV has assumed a global position, his voice was already heard in American politics prior to his election.
In a post on his personal X account in February 2025, he publicly stated, “JD Vance is wrong: Jesus doesn’t ask us to rank our love for others.”
His focus on the inclusiveness of Christian compassion was reflected in the widely shared message, which was linked to an article in the National Catholic Reporter.
Following his historic election and the conclave that followed Pope Francis’ death, Pope Leo XIV delivers his first speech as the new pope.
Just one day after the 133 cardinals in the conclave started their serious discussions, the Vatican made the announcement in the evening of May 8.
Pope Francis, who guided the Church through ten years of change and rebirth, recently passed away, and the election followed.
Cardinals from 71 nations, many of whom Pope Francis personally selected, convened in meditative silence inside the Vatican to choose the future spiritual leader of the 1.3 billion Catholics worldwide.
St. Peter’s Square was filled with emotion and joy as millions of people gazed up at the white smoke.
Shortly thereafter, the Church proclaimed, “Habemus Papam” — We have a Pope — from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, confirming the election.
The 267th Pope has been elected President of the United States. He becomes the first American to become pope at the age of 69.
He presents a special fusion of pastoral experience and a global viewpoint, having been born in Chicago, Illinois.
After working as a missionary in Trujillo, Peru, for ten years, Pope Leo XIV was appointed bishop of Chiclayo, where he presided over the diocese from 2014 until 2023.
He oversaw a crucial Vatican ministry that appointed bishops prior to his election, which was crucial during Pope Francis’ reform campaign.
It is anticipated that his incoming papacy will continue that same inclusive and revitalizing approach.
Cardinal Pietro Parolin of Italy, who was hailed for his diplomatic skills, and Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle of the Philippines, who was adored for his humility and ability to connect with the faithful, were among the names who were once thought to be front-runners.
In addition to a new era for the Church, this shift gives millions of people fresh hope that is based on compassion, faith, and solidarity.
The outcome of the conclave was more familiar before the moment of white smoke announced the Church’s choice.
Cardinals assembled in the Sistine Chapel on May 7 to start the conclave that would choose the next pope.
Black smoke billowed from the chapel’s chimney around 9:00 p.m., indicating that the first voting had concluded without a decision. People who followed the news worldwide responded to the incident.
Vatican News reports that no Pope was elected at the end of the poll. About 45,000 people gathered in St. Peter’s Square, anticipating an announcement after 7:00 p.m., but it wouldn’t come until almost two hours later, because the outcome was still up in the air.
Shortly after black smoke appeared over the Sistine Chapel, the throng reportedly started to disperse from the Piazza.
Tourists hoping their trip coincided with a historic declaration were among those waiting, as did residents who had come after work and claimed they would be back the next day.
Tanzanian Deacon Nicholas Nkoronko stood among the faithful in the square, sharing in the excitement.
He continued, “Our role here is to pray and to join with other Christians, other Catholics, to pray for the Holy Spirit to guide the whole process.”
Nkoronko stated that the Church genuinely needs “a holy Pope,” someone who “will guide the Church and will be the pastor of the Church.
” He also underlined that the Pope’s origin, whether it be from Africa, Asia, or America, was secondary to his spiritual leadership.
Public responses were very different on the internet. “Swearing secrecy is not a good thing,” one netizen wrote. This need to be accessible. Secrets only allow for dishonesty. “It is not worthy [sic] one to discuss with,” said another. Another pointless election.”
Others questioned the procedure. “I think these people are voting for themselves,” said one, and “took so long?” said another.
The speed of the conclave was questioned by one user, who predicted that it may take months for a new Pope to be chosen.
Another thought about Pope Francis’s legacy and said it might be hard to find someone as amazing.
Another gave a sincere prayer, pleading for divine intervention and expressing the hope that the next pope would be a someone who genuinely cared about the people.
Someone expressed a range of feelings, including sadness at Pope Francis’s departure and hope for the appointment of a new pope.
As the cardinals get ready for the procedures the following day, another witness wished them luck and accepted the first ballot’s predictable result.
Church authorities and academics familiar with the conclave indicated that while the public contemplated the event, the proceedings within the Sistine Chapel proceeded according to known patterns.
The first poll was expected to be delayed for a number of reasons, according to Kurt Martens, a professor of canon law at The Catholic University.
Cardinal Cantalamessa, “who has a tendency to preach long,” gave a lengthy sermon, and he mentioned the lengthy oath-taking procedure, which he claimed “took forever as they entered into conclave.” According to Martens, it was “much longer than last time around.”
Martens went on to say that because many participants are elderly, the procedure proceeds at a deliberate pace. “It’s not like you have 20-year-olds running up to the altar, so that takes time,” he stated.
He also cited procedural requirements, like choosing reviewers to confirm the work of the scrutineers. He stated, “So it’s a lengthy process,” and then went on to say, “Be patient.” And give yourself a little more airtime.”
The first round has a function even though it rarely yields a result. The vote is important even if “it’s close to no chance” that a pope will be chosen during this period, according to Word on Fire founder Bishop Robert Barron.
It’s “an important one, almost certainly indecisive,” he said, but it “will give a good indication of where the conclave is.”
Jesuit priest and America Media editor-in-chief Reverend Sam Sawyer, however, stressed that the conclave’s secrecy is intended to protect the cardinals from outside interference.
“It gives them the freedom to vote within their own conscience for the man they think is best suited to be the pope,” he said.
It also allows the electors to have candid conversations, he continued, allowing them “to be really frank with each other.”
Sawyer went on to highlight the historical significance of anonymity, saying, “In the past, one of the reasons to protect the conclave this way is because it would come under political pressure or come under, you know, pressure from people who would basically hand the papacy down within families.”
The conclave’s sturdy construction serves to further bolster that defense. Every phase of the election adheres to a rigorous, centuries-old process, as explained by Vatican News.
Printed on ballots for cardinal electors is the Latin phrase “Eligo in Summum Pontificem.” They use a plate to deposit the ballot in a chalice at the altar after writing the name of their preferred candidate and folding it and taking an oath.
A scrutineer deposits the vote on behalf of people who are unwell and unable to attend the altar.
Three selected infirmarii take a sealed box to their apartments to retrieve the ballot if a cardinal is too ill to be in the chapel. The ballot is then returned under stringent procedural safeguards.
Once every vote has been cast, scrutineers read out each name and verify the total. After being strung together, the ballots are burned in a cast-iron stove.
The smoke is expelled through the chimney by a second stove that was built in 2005. If no Pope is chosen, chemicals put to the fire produce black smoke; if one is, they make white smoke.
A candidate needs a two-thirds majority, or at least 89 votes from the 133 electors, in order to be elected Pope. Every day, up to four ballots are cast.
The procedure includes planned breaks for prayer and introspection if, after several rounds, no conclusion is made.
Only the two front-runners are still eligible after 21 inconclusive votes, but they are unable to cast their own ballots and the two-thirds requirement is still in effect.
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Why the new American Pope has chosen the name Leo
Today the Catholic Church witnessed a historic moment when white smoke flared up in the Sidget Chapel’s chimney, which meant that the choice of a new pope had been made.
Cardinals made their swift and unanimous decision as the next Pope by electing 69-year-old Robert Francis Prevost of Chicago, USA, to replace Pope Francis, making him the 267th pontiff, and first American to ever hold the position.
He announced the name he would wear in his papacy just a few weeks after his election: Pope Leo XIV.
Although the election of a new pope always attracts the whole world’s attention, the election of a papal name is a heavy symbolic burden that illuminates the values, purpose, and plan for the Church of the new pontiff.
For Pope Leo XIV, the choice to assume the name “Leo” is based in custom and respect, and maybe also in a message of strength and fortitude in problematic times.
Pope Leo’s ascent to the papacy has known humility and dedication and he was born in Chicago. Ordained at barely 27 years old, he served many of his early years abroad, as a missionary in Peru, steeped in mission to the poor and marginalized.
He has been a staunch advocate for greater awareness of the poverty of migrants and global poor, receiving enthusiastic support from Pope Francis, according to close friends and fellow workers.
Even though he has only emerged as a cardinal in 2023, it is the time, over the years, he has dedicated to humanitarian causes and his hatred for power for its sake which leaves an impression.
In one of his interviews, he said “The bishop is not supposed to be a little prince sitting in his kingdom”; he saying closely resembles his reputation for simplicity and service.
“The name, “Leo”, is one of the most storied names in papal history. It was selected by thirteen former popes and Pope Leo XIV the fourteenth.
Together with Leo XIII they are distinguished by their intellectual leadership and by building the foundations of the modern welfare teaching of the Catholic Church.
His 1891 encyclical Rerum Novarum dealt with the rights of workers and the responsibilities of employers and determined the direction of the Church’s involvement in economic and social issues.
With current global crises (economic inequality, climate crisis, millions displaced) Pope Leo XIV’s name might be one such call of social justice, moral clarity, spiritual leadership during such upheavals.
The practice of popes taking new names is an ancient one (thanks to tradition), but it is not a requirement, but rather an established habit. The Vatican makes the point that this action represents rebirth in to a new spiritual identity and mission.
Formerly, in name changes of some early popes was a search to rub out partialities to pagan ties but today, unlike names of former popes, to cite some examples, were named after their predecessors or saints they would like to represent or follow.
Pope Leo XIV makes the decision to use “Leo” not only as a statement of his allegiance to a line of notable predecessors in firmness and theological integrity but as words that identify him with the great struggles of Church fathers who sought to preserve the unity of the church.
It is a name that carries within it the thank of courage, of intellect, of facing the trials of world that the native accepts in hard head. He is making this decision amid a clamour by many from within the Church and outside for rock-solid moral leadership, and return to meaning.
His immediate predecessor broke with tradition when he selected a name, which has never been used by a pontiff before. Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, he chose the name “Francis” as an homage to St. Francis of Assisi, a man that he himself followed in so far as humbly serving the poor and the environment.
That unparalleled decision establishes a tone for a papacy marked by outreach and reform and we do not yet know how Pope Leo XIV will proceed, progress or transcend that legacy.
Some of the most poplarly used papal names through history are John, Benedict and Gregory, with Clement and Leo coming in hot pursuit. This resurrection of these names testifies to the strong legacies of which previous popes have left and the ancient inspiration they offer.
Choosing “Leo,” this new pope enters the intellectual indomitable and the moral leadership that various parts of the world’s 1.3 billion Catholics—and thousands more—might find looking to in hope when it is his term that dawns.
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Pope Francis Issues Emotional Final Message Before His Death at 88
Pope Francis touched millions of people worldwide with his unrelenting plea for peace, compassion, and freedom in a personal Easter letter he sent out only one day before his death,
marking a profoundly affecting end to his pontificate. In what would soon be known as his last speech, the 88-year-old Pontiff made his final public appearance on Easter Sunday, April 20, 2025, at the famous balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica.
A Last Presence Signified by Humanity and Hope
Even though he was clearly weak, Pope Francis stood in front of thousands of worshippers in Vatican City on Easter morning, speaking through an assistant who read his speech in his place.
The Pope pleaded for international solidarity, respect, and a truce in war areas in what has now become a moving farewell speech that cut across national and political boundaries.
The Pope’s speech opened with the words, “There can be no peace without freedom of religion, freedom of thought, and freedom of expression.” This served as a sobering reminder of the principles he had fought for his entire life.
Calling for Peace and Denouncing War
Pope Francis did not hesitate to address the suffering and unrest experienced worldwide, in keeping with his reputation as a world mediator.
He specifically brought up the humanitarian situation in Gaza, emphasizing the suffering of Christians and defenseless civilians as a result of the conflict.
He bemoaned, “We see in the numerous conflicts raging in different parts of the world a great thirst for death, for killing.”
In his message, he urged international leaders to “call a ceasefire, release the hostages, and come to the aid of a starving people that aspires to a future of peace,” expressing profound sorrow for both Israelis and Palestinians.
The Pope urged all sides to work relentlessly toward a “just and lasting peace,” expressing worry not just about the Middle East but also about the protracted conflict in Ukraine.
A Life of Charity and Service
Pope Francis’ death was certified by the Vatican at 7:35 a.m. on April 21, 2025, just one day later. After a protracted illness that included 38 days at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital due to complications from double pneumonia and bronchitis, he passed away. During this period, he was also reportedly diagnosed with kidney problems.
In a heartfelt message, Cardinal Kevin Farrell confirmed the Pope’s death on behalf of the Vatican:
Francis, the Roman bishop, arrived back at the Father’s house at 7:35 this morning. He devoted his entire life to serving the Lord and his church.
He instructed us to uphold the principles of the gospel with integrity, bravery, and love for all people, particularly the most vulnerable and impoverished.
“We commend the soul of Pope Francis to the infinite, merciful love of God, One and Triune,” he said in closing, offering a heartfelt farewell.
International Mourning and a Church in Transition In the immediate wake of the news, tributes from all around the world started to stream in, including a moving statement from King Charles III, who acknowledged Pope Francis as a “beacon of moral leadership in a time of deep uncertainty.”
In accordance with custom, the Catholic Church will now observe novemdiales, a nine-day period of mourning during which the late pope will be remembered with masses and prayers.
After this, the College of Cardinals will elect the next head of the Roman Catholic Church in a solemn ceremony known as the papal conclave.
The conclave, which is anticipated to start 15 days after the Pope’s passing, will allow 138 of the 252 Catholic cardinals in the globe to cast ballots.
A Heritage Rooted on Humility and Mercy
Pope Francis was the first Jesuit and the first Latin American pope. He was born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Since being elected in 2013, he has developed into a strong voice for the underprivileged, an advocate for interfaith understanding, and a persistent supporter of economic equality and climate justice.
His parting speech, which is full of love, care, and a call for peace, is a fitting homage to a life characterized by compassion and humility.
Pope Francis leaves behind a legacy of mercy, bravery, and unwavering hope for peace that is not only enshrined in doctrine but also carved into the hearts of the faithful as the world grieves the death of one of its most significant spiritual leaders.
