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Rome Newsroom, May 9, 2025 / 04:57 am (CNA).

Just hours after being elected the Catholic Church’s 267th pontiff, Pope Leo XIV has three appointments on his agenda

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Where Christians are "mocked, opposed, despised or at best tolerated and pitied" is where the Catholic Church's "missionary outreach is most desperately needed," Pope Leo XIV said in his first homily as leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics.

Today, "there are many settings in which the Christian faith is considered absurd, meant for the weak and unintelligent, settings where other securities are preferred, like technology, money, success, power or pleasure," the new pope told cardinals May 9 during Mass in the Sistine Chapel.

"This is the world that has been entrusted to us, a world in which, as Pope Francis taught us so many times, we are called to bear witness to our joyful faith in Jesus the savior," he said.

The day after his election, the new pope returned to the chapel where his fellow 132 cardinals elected him pope -- the first U.S. citizen, first Peruvian citizen, first Augustinian friar and likely the first Chicago White Sox fan to become pope -- to celebrate his first Mass with the College of Cardinals.

Wearing black shoes instead of the traditional red associated with the papacy and walking into the Sistine Chapel carrying Pope Benedict XIV's papal ferula, or staff, the pope processed into the chapel.

After two women read the Mass readings in English and Spanish -- a possible nod to the new pope's U.S. and Peruvian background -- he greeted the cardinals in English, marking his first public use of the language.

"Through the ministry of Peter, you have called me to carry that cross and to be blessed with that mission," he said, "and I know I can rely on each and every one of you to walk with me as we continue as a church, as a community of friends of Jesus, as believers, to announce the good news, to announce the Gospel."

The Mass, largely in Latin, was celebrated at a portable altar brought into the Sistine Chapel, as opposed to the fixed altar which requires the celebrant to face East, away from the congregation.

In his homily, spoken in Italian, Pope Leo said God had called him to be a "faithful administrator" of the church so that she may be "a beacon that illumines the dark nights of this world."

"And this, not so much through the magnificence of her structures or the grandeur of her buildings, like the monuments among which we find ourselves, but rather through the holiness of her members," he said, standing before Michelangelo's "The Last Judgment" in the Sistine Chapel.

Reflecting on Jesus' question to the apostle Peter in St. Matthew's Gospel -- "Who do people say the Son of Man is?" -- Pope Leo said one might find two possible responses: the world's, which considers Jesus "a completely insignificant person" who becomes "irksome because of his demands for honesty and his stern moral requirements," and that of ordinary people, who see him as an "upright man, one who has courage, who speaks well and says the right things."

"Even today, there are many settings in which the Christian faith is considered absurd, meant for the weak and unintelligent," he said. In these settings, "a lack of faith is often tragically accompanied by the loss of meaning in life, the neglect of mercy, appalling violations of human dignity, the crisis of the family and so many other wounds that afflict our society," the pope said.

And in many settings in which Jesus is appreciated, the pope said, he can be "reduced to a kind of charismatic leader or superman."

"This is true not only among nonbelievers but also among many baptized Christians, who thus end up living, at this level, in a state of practical atheism," he said. "Therefore, it is essential that we too repeat, with Peter: 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.'"

"I say this first of all to myself, as the successor of Peter, as I begin my mission as bishop of Rome," he said. Referencing St. Ignatius of Antioch, he said the commitment for all who exercise authority in the church is "to move aside so that Christ may remain, to make oneself small so that he may be known and glorified, to spend oneself to the utmost so that all may have the opportunity to know and love him."

Before the Mass, video footage of the pope's first hours in office circulated online. A video released by the Vatican showed him greeting the cardinals who elected him, praying alone in the Pauline Chapel of the Apostolic Palace and wearing black, not red, shoes.

After his election and presentation to the faithful May 8, a video posted online showed Pope Leo returning to the Vatican residence where he had briefly lived as a cardinal before entering the conclave that elected him pope.

Greeting people who lived in the building, he posed for selfies and gave his blessing.

A girl asked the new pope to bless and sign a book; with a smile he replied: "I need to practice the signature! That old one is no good anymore." And while signing, he asked, "Today is?" to a roar of laughs to those around him.

In the Salve Regina (the Hail, Holy Queen, as it begins in English), Mary quickly receives the title, Mother of Mercy. Later in that prayer, we call out to her, admitting that we are “mourning and weeping in this valley of tears,” and we beg her to turn her “eyes of mercy toward us.” During […]

Jesus offers a promise of eternal life.  What must we do to receive it? Gospel (Read Jn. 10:27-30) In our very brief Gospel reading, Jesus makes a wonderful promise to shepherd His people into eternal life.  We, “the sheep,” must “hear” and “follow” Him.  These two words magnificently sum up the appropriate human response to the great […]

What if we began to see the world as people in the midst of their conversion stories? Rather than pass judgment on the sinners, perhaps we begin to see them as potential saints? Rather than see ourselves as comfortably converted (past tense), shouldn’t we see each day as a new opportunity to grow in holiness? […]

The post Daily Conversions appeared first on Integrated Catholic Life™.

St. Pachomius was born around 292 AD in Upper Egypt to a pagan family. Drafted into the Roman army as a young man, he encountered Christians who offered him food and kindness while he was a prisoner. Deeply moved by their compassion, Pachomius converted to Christianity after his release. Seeking to dedicate his life entirely […]

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, May 8, 2025 / 17:26 pm (CNA).

“It is with great joy that I welcome the election of Chicago-born Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost as Pope Leo XIV,” Michael Warsaw said in a statement.

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, May 8, 2025 / 17:26 pm (CNA).

“It is with great joy that I welcome the election of Chicago-born Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost as Pope Leo XIV,” Michael Warsaw said in a statement.

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, May 8, 2025 / 17:26 pm (CNA).

EWTN Chairman and CEO Michael Warsaw reacted with joy to the election of the first American pontiff.

“It is with great joy that I welcome the election of Chicago-born Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost as Pope Leo XIV,” Warsaw said in a statement. “The election of a new pope is always a historic moment in the life of the Church, but the election of the first American-born pope is particularly momentous.”

Reflecting on the new pope’s trajectory, Warsaw noted that “the new Holy Father carries with him enormous experience as a missionary priest and bishop, which no doubt will help to shape his ministry as the 266th successor of St. Peter.”

Warsaw, who under Pope Francis served as a consultor with the Vatican’s Dicastery for Communication, added that “on behalf of the global EWTN family, I want to assure Pope Leo of our prayers as he begins his service to the universal Church.” 

The 69-year-old new pope, formerly Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, was elected the first pope from the United States on Thursday. A native of Chicago, Leo spoke in Italian and Spanish from the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, addressing the tens of thousands of people gathered below. His first words to the faithful were “Peace be with you all.”

The identity of the new pope was announced just over an hour after white smoke billowed from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel. The cardinal electors watched from balconies flanking the central loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica as Cardinal Dominique Mamberti declared in Latin: “Habemus papam!”

EWTN is the largest Catholic media organization in the world, with 11 global TV channels and numerous regional channels that are broadcast in multiple languages 24 hours a day, seven days a week to over 435 million television households in more than 160 countries and territories. 

EWTN platforms also include radio services transmitted through SIRIUS/XM, iHeart Radio, and over 600 domestic and international AM and FM radio affiliates; a worldwide shortwave radio service; one of the most visited Catholic websites in the U.S.; as well as EWTN Publishing, its book publishing division.

Headquartered in Washington, D.C., EWTN News operates multiple global news services, including Catholic News Agency; The National Catholic Register newspaper and digital platform; ACI Prensa in Spanish; ACI Digital in Portuguese; ACI Stampa in Italian; ACI Africa in English, French, and Portuguese; ACI MENA in Arabic; CNA Deutsch in German; and ChurchPop, a digital platform that creates content in several languages. It also produces numerous television news programs including “EWTN News Nightly,” “EWTN News In Depth,” “EWTN Pro-Life Weekly,” and “The World Over with Raymond Arroyo,” among others.

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, May 8, 2025 / 16:32 pm (CNA).

U.S. President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance, along with scores of other elected officials throughout the country have expressed joy and excitement over the selection of the first American pope.