Homily at the Mass for the Beginning of the Pontificate
Pope Leo XIV18 May 2025
The sermon Pope Leo XIV preached in St Peter’s Square at the Mass that opened his pontificate, on Jesus’ question to Peter, “Do you love me?”, and on love and unity as the two dimensions of Peter’s mission.
Leo XIV preached on John 21 on Sunday 18 May 2025. He recalls the death of Pope Francis and the conclave, says that he was chosen “without any merit of my own”, and describes the office of Peter as one of self-giving love and of service to unity, to be exercised without becoming “an autocrat”. He names a united church as his first great desire. See Leo XIV, the First Pope from the United States.
Cited in
- 8 May 2025, firm date