All eyes were on this balcony on May 8th. The Church had a new pope: who would it be? What would his name be? What would his first gestures be?
The first answer was this… Cardinal Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, appeared in red, with all the pontifical vestments, except for the red shoes.
RAMÓN NAVARRO
Director, Episcopal Commission for Liturgy (CEE)
Pope Francis didn't do it, but those before him had, and Leo XIV revived it. He wore the full choir robes.
In the red, we do know the origin, which is the theme of the martyrs, the blood shed… The Pope gives his life for the Church.
With this alone, without even having spoken a word, many might think that Pope Leo XIV might not follow his predecessor's lead.
But nothing could be further from the truth: he has mentioned Pope Francis in every one of his speeches and continues many of the initiatives and reforms that the Argentinian Pope undertook.
Examples include the Synod of Synodality and strengthening transparency in the economic sphere with rules to prevent corruption. Pope Leo also approved a new Mass formula based on one of Pope Francis' encyclicals.
POPE LEO XIV
Following this beautiful inspiration from Pope Francis, who gave this small portion, these gardens, these spaces, precisely to continue the very important portion of everything we already know after ten years of Laudato Si'.
Every pope has a different style. Pope Leo XIV commented on adjusting to his new lifestyle. He himself said in this meeting with journalists that he was learning to be pope.
But from the beginning, he was approachable. He demonstrated this with his surprise visits. The first were to the Augustinians, the order of which he was Prior General.
RICARDO MORALES
Press Officer of the Augustinians
Pope Leo XIV is an Augustinian pope. This does not mean that he is a pope exclusively for the Augustinians, but rather that he is a pope who cannot ignore or disengage from the reality of community life, from encounters with others, from the support and needs of his brothers and sisters.
What is not officially known at this time is where Pope Leo XIV will live. It was rumored to be in the Apostolic Palace, but he still remains in the same place where he stayed when he was a cardinal within this palace.
Pope Francis, in his case, wanted to reside in Casa Santa Marta, a house where other priests amd nuns lived. He even spent the summer there, while previous popes vacationed in Castel Gandolfo.
Pope Leo XIV did resume this holiday tradition. He stayed at Villa Barberini. It was a time of rest and reflection, perhaps to consider several issues that are still open: will there be changes in the Curia? Who will replace him in the Dicastery of Bishops? Is a doctrinal document just around the corner?
CA
TR: GS
