Lord Jesus Christ,You the Good Shepherd,You who entrusted Peter with the mission of shepherding your flock,we give you thanks for the gift of our Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV. Read more...

A thousand-year-old tradition with biblical and spiritual rootsThe change of name at the election of a pope is a tradition as ancient as it is rich in meaning. Although no canonical text requires it, over the centuries this custom has become an essential stage in the beginning of each pontificate. It dates back to the 7th century, when the first pontiff to change his name, John II, chose to abandon his birth name, Mercurius, which evoked a pagan god, and adopt a Christian name.Since then, each newly elected pope chooses a new name, marking a form of new birth in his mission. This gesture is not insignificant: it expresses an inner break, a personal commitment, and above all a spiritual desire to inscribe his pontificate in a certain filiation.Taking a new name means becoming another man for another service: no longer just the bishop elected from among others, but the successor of Peter, universal pastor of the Catholic Church. Read more...

A Latin motto at the heart of the pontificateAs soon as his election was announced, Pope Leo XIV unveiled a brief but profound motto: In Illo Uno Unum, which in Latin means "One in Him who is One". Just three words, but of immense theological and spiritual density. The phrase is directly inspired by Christ's prayer in the Gospel according to Saint John (17:21): "That they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I am in you, that they may all be one in us."In choosing this motto, Leo XIV was not proposing a political slogan or a simplified message, but an invitation to unity rooted in God, a unity that comes not from human efforts or a fragile consensus, but from a deep spiritual communion with Christ. Read more...

A spiritual and pastoral filiationIn his first speeches, Leo XIV never ceased to pay tribute to his predecessor, Pope Francis, whom he called "a father in the faith" and "a model of a universal pastor". Their relationship is not merely ceremonial: it reveals a genuine spiritual continuity, rooted in the same vision of the Church, turned towards the peripheries, mercy, simplicity of life and listening to the Spirit.Pope Francis has marked the contemporary history of the Church by his desire to desacralise the pontifical office, to open the Church to those wounded by life, and to place the poor back at the centre of the Gospel message. Leo XIV, while having his own style, takes up this breath: he does not seek to break with the past, but to deepen it, to extend it, to make it bear fruit. Read more...

A simple start to his pontificateOnce elected, Pope Leo XIV was surprised by the sobriety and depth of his first gestures. Far from staging a solemn ceremony or demonstrating his authority, he preferred discretion, silent prayer and a deeply fraternal attitude towards the crowd gathered in St Peter's Square. Before even speaking, he invited everyone to pray for him, bowing for a long time in silence.This inaugural gesture set the tone for a pontificate centred on evangelical humility and dependence on grace. By choosing to be called "the Bishop of Rome" rather than "the Holy Father", Leo XIV recalled the essence of his ministry: to serve, not dominate, and to walk with the people of God, not above them. Read more...