On May 9, 2025, Pope Leo XIV presided over Mass with the Cardinal electors in the Sistine Chapel. In his homily, he said that "Peter, in his response ['You are the Christ, the Son of the living God' (Matthew 16:16)], understands both of these things: the gift of God and the path to follow in order to allow himself to be changed by that gift."
Read the full text of Pope Leo XIV's first Urbi et Orbi address given on May 8, 2025 at the Vatican.
We joyfully welcome our new Holy Father Pope Leo XIV. If you'd like to learn more, here's a brief biography.
On May 7, 2025, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, Dean of the College of Cardinals, presided over the Mass Pro Eligendo Romano Pontifice, "For the Election of the Roman Pontiff," in St. Peter's Basilica.
Popular depictions of Conclaves often show a political drama with lots of maneuvering and intrigue. At heart, it's also a deeply synodal act of spiritual discernment. How can we reconcile these two diverging perspectives on papal elections?