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Pope Leo XIV: ‘Peace be with all of you’
May 9, 2025
One hundred thousand Romans, pilgrims, and tourists greeted the newly elected Pope in St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican. He greeted everyone with Christ’s wish for peace: “Peace be with you all!” The newly elected Pope Leo XIV began his first speech from the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican with Christ’s greeting on the day of the Resurrection.
On Thursday, May 8, 2025, the cardinals gathered at the Conclave after the passing of Pope Francis and elected Cardinal Robert Prevost, who took the name Leo XIV, as his successor. The positive outcome of the vote at 18:08 Roman time was announced by white smoke from the chimney above the Sistine Chapel and a solemn bell that began to summon Romans and visitors to the square.
Forty minutes later, Cardinal Protodeacon Dominique Mamberti announced the name of the new Successor of St. Peter. A few minutes later, the new Bishop of Rome appeared on the basilica’s loggia to deliver his first speech and give his first Urbi et Orbi blessing. He was greeted with applause by a gathering of one hundred thousand people, waving flags from all over the world. There was no shortage of Ukrainian flags among them. As they waited for the new Ecumenical Bishop to appear, cardinals came out to the adjacent balconies — among them, standing out in his distinctive attire, was Ukrainian Greek Catholic Bishop Mykola Bychok, one of the 133 cardinal electors who voted in the Sistine Chapel.
“Peace be with you! Dearest brothers and sisters, this was the first greeting of the risen Christ, the good shepherd who gave His life for the flock of God. I, too, would like this greeting of peace to enter your hearts, to reach your families and all people, wherever they are; and all the peoples, and all the earth: Peace be with you,” said the Holy Father, whose words were met with loud applause. “This is the peace of the Risen Christ,” he continued, “a disarming and humble and preserving peace. It comes from God. God, who loves all of us without any limits or conditions. Let us keep in our ears the weak but always brave voice of Pope Francis, who blessed Rome!” he said, recalling how his predecessor gave his final blessing 18 days ago.
“Allow me to continue that same blessing. God loves us, all of us, evil will not prevail. We are all in the hands of God. Without fear, united, hand in hand with God and among ourselves, we will go forward. We are disciples of Christ, Christ goes before us, and the world needs His light. Humanity needs Him like a bridge to reach God and His love. You help us to build bridges with dialogue and encounter so we can all be one people always in peace.
“Let me develop this blessing: God loves us, God loves you all, and evil will not prevail! We are all in God’s hands. Therefore, without fear, united, hand in hand with God and with each other, let us go forward. We are Christ’s disciples. Christ goes before us. The world needs His light. Humanity needs Him as a bridge to reach God and His love. Help us and each other to build bridges — through dialogue, through encounter, through unity — to be one people who are always at peace. Thank you, Pope Francis!”
Then Pope Leo XIV thanked his fellow cardinals for electing him as the Successor of St. Peter to move forward with them “as a united Church searching all together for peace and justice, working together as women and men, faithful to Jesus Christ without fear, proclaiming Christ, to be missionaries.” He reminded the faithful that he comes from an Augustinian monastic family and repeated the words of St. Augustine: “With you I am a Christian, for you a bishop.” “To the Church of Rome, a special greeting: We have to look together how to be a missionary Church, building bridges, dialogue, always open to receiving with open arms for everyone, like this square, open to all, to all who need our charity, our presence, dialogue, love.” The Holy Father also offered a few words in Spanish to the faithful of the Diocese of Chiclayo in Peru, where he served as bishop before being appointed to the Roman Curia.
“To all you brothers and sisters of Rome, Italy, of all the world, we want to be a synodal church, walking and always seeking peace, charity, closeness, especially to those who are suffering,” Leo XIV summarised. And before giving his first blessing, he reminded the crowd that on this day a special supplicatory prayer is offered to the Virgin Mary in Pompeii, and therefore invited everyone to say the Hail Mary together.
“So let us pray together for this mission, and for all of the Church, and for peace in the world. We ask for this special grace from Mary, our Mother,” the Pope invited.
