This is how Pope Leo XIV arrived to take possession of the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls…
He was accompanied by James Harvey, the Archpriest of the Basilica, and the Abbot, all processing together with the Benedictine monks, who take care of the abbey.
Inside, the faithful were waiting for him—many of whom couldn't resist taking out their phones to record the moment. For many, this was their first encounter with the new Pope.
The first thing Pope Leo XIV did was pray before the tomb of the Apostle Paul.
In a glass and bronze case, there lies a chain.
It’s the same one that held Paul of Tarsus while he was imprisoned, before being beheaded in Rome for his faith by order of Emperor Nero.
Moments later, Pope Leo XIV delivered his homily. He reflected on the Apostle’s life through three key themes: grace, faith, and justice. He also spoke about St. Paul’s martyrdom and his obedience of faith.
POPE LEO XIV
“Indeed, when the Lord appeared to him on the road to Damascus, He did not deprive him of his freedom, but left him the opportunity to make a decision—an obedience born of effort, of interior and exterior struggles, which he accepted to face. Salvation does not come by magic, but by a mysterious interplay of grace and faith, of God’s prevenient love and of our trusting and free acceptance.”
St. Paul Outside the Walls is one of the four papal basilicas in Rome, the second largest in size after St. Peter’s.
CA
Trans. CRT
