As crowds celebrated in St. Peter’s Sq., a person in white and purple stepped onto the balcony of the basilica, prompting cheers from the plaza.
It used to be American Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost: Pope Leo XIV, as he’ll now be recognized. On Might 8, 2025 – the second one day of the conclave following Pope Francis’ demise – the School of Cardinals decided on him to guide the Catholic Church.
Within the days to come back, other folks might pore over movies of the ones first short while of Leo’s papacy, examining the entirety from his vestments and multilingual speech to his selection of papal title. Showing at the balcony of St. Peter’s is a pope’s first look – a convention stuffed with symbolism.
I’m a student who research Roman Catholic theology and historical past. I’m in particular all for how popes workout authority and management lately, together with their use of symbols.
When Francis first seemed on that balcony in 2013, he used 4 facets of the ritual to put across a message about his intentions for his papacy. Leo, too, tailored symbols of the ritual – and time will inform how a lot of his personal intentions he confirmed.
Pilgrims on the Vatican react after the announcement of the newly elected Pope Leo XIV.
AP Picture/Francisco Seco
What’s in a reputation?
For the reason that 6th century C.E., new bishops of Rome have frequently taken a brand new title. Jorge Mario Bergoglio opted for “Francis,” the primary pope to take action.
It refers to Francis of Assisi, an Italian saint who lived on the flip of the thirteenth century who used to be famend for his simplicity, poverty, fear for the Earth and need to mimic Jesus. Over the following 12 years, those characteristics proved central to his papacy.
Prevost selected “Leo,” making him the 14th pope to endure that title.
Which Leo is the brand new pope relating to as his type? Most certainly a couple of. One of the crucial important Pope Leos, on the other hand, used to be the newest. Leo XIII used to be pope from 1878-1903, and is especially remembered for his writings on social justice, economics, politics and hard work, that have grounded Catholic social instructing for greater than 100 years.
Leo XIII could also be credited for selling Thomas Aquinas, the essential medieval theologian and saint, because the type for Catholic theology and its reaction to the fashionable global.
No longer a king
At the balcony, Francis wore easy white papal clothes as a substitute of the extra elaborate adornments worn through a few of his predecessors. He wore his previous, easy go throughout his chest, quite than a brand new, extra sumptuous one.
Francis waves all over his first look as pope on March 13, 2013.
AP Picture/Dmitry Lovetsky
Popes have worn white clothes as a logo in their place of job for hundreds of years. However lots of them extensively utilized symbols of monarchy, such because the triple papal tiara or crown. Pope Paul VI, whose papacy used to be from 1963-1978, used to be the closing to put on the tiara and to have a coronation rite. The next yr, he bought the crown and donated the proceeds to emphasise the church’s dedication to the deficient.
Later popes have adopted Paul’s instance of averting royal symbolism, akin to through now not the use of a “sedia gestatoria,” the moveable throne that historically carried the pope in formal processions. Francis took this development even additional and made simplicity of get dressed and way of life a trademark of his time in place of job.
When he seemed at the balcony, Leo returned to the custom of popes earlier than Francis through dressed in the “mozzetta,” a brief cape, and the gold go introduced to a pope when he accepts the place of job – appearing reasonably extra continuity together with his predecessors.
Bishop of Rome
When Francis first addressed the group in St. Peter’s, he described himself as the brand new bishop of Rome.
In Catholicism, the pope holds many titles representing the scope and tasks of his place of job. For starters, he is not just the religious chief of the Roman Catholic Church however “sovereign of the State of Vatican City.”
In the case of spiritual titles, some intensify the pope’s authority. “Vicar of Christ,” for instance, method he’s Jesus’ consultant on Earth. Others, akin to “servus servorum Dei” – “servant of the servants of God” – emphasize his position as a beef up to different bishops and ministers of the church.
Francis indisputably didn’t deny the normal authority of the pope’s place of job. On the other hand, he selected to spot himself first because the native bishop of the diocese of Rome, emphasizing how even the pope used to be first a part of a area people. Within the legit Vatican yearbook for 2020, Francis indexed his handiest name as “Bishop of Rome” and indexed the remainder as “historic.”
Catholics from the parish of St. Joan Antida in Rome arrive to wait Pope Francis’ inaugural Mass on the Vatican on March 19, 2013.
AP Picture/Domenico Stinellis
When the brand new Pope Leo addressed the group, he described himself because the “successor of Peter,” the primary pope. Like Francis earlier than him, he additionally referred to the pope’s position as “bishop of Rome,” quoting the early church theologian St. Augustine: “For you I am a bishop, with you I am a Christian.” This identifies him first as a fellow Christian – and in that sense, no longer only a chief above his flock.
‘Pray for me’
Francis requested the assembled crowd to wish for him earlier than he introduced his first papal blessing.
Historically, popes making their first look would supply a blessing to the folks amassed in St. Peter’s Sq.. Francis took this ritual and reversed it. In unity together with his perspectives on simplicity and his position because the bishop of Rome, he emphasised the mutual connection between him and the folks. He downplayed the view of the pope as a hierarchical ruler above the folks.
Leo concluded his cope with to the group with the normal blessing in Latin, addressed “to the city and to the world.” He didn’t ask, as Francis did, that the group bless him first.
In many ways, it sort of feels like Leo’s symbolic message used to be “I am not Francis,” emphasizing his continuity with earlier popes. But in his cope with, he obviously praised and thanked Francis, and invoked his predecessor’s emphasis on “synodality”: a church the place all Catholics stroll in combination. He repeated Francis’s message that the Christian message will have to name to and come with everybody.
Possibly it’s higher to mention that Leo’s first look at the balcony intended: “I am not Francis, but Francis’ vision will continue.”
That is an up to date model of a piece of writing at the start printed on Might 6, 2025. It used to be up to date on Might 8, 2025 to replicate Pope Leo XIV’s election.
