In his first homily as pontiff, Pope Leo XIV on Friday called on the Catholic Church to confront the global erosion of faith with urgency and renewed missionary zeal.
The 69-year-old Chicago-born cardinal, formerly known as Robert Francis Prevost, delivered the message a day after emerging as the first American to lead the 2,000-year-old institution, succeeding the late Pope Francis. Elected during a secret conclave in the Sistine Chapel, the Augustinian friar becomes the 267th pope and spiritual leader to more than 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide.
Standing at the altar beneath Michelangelo’s “Last Judgment,” Leo XIV warned cardinals that the Church must reach people in “places where believers are mocked, opposed, despised, or at best tolerated and pitied.” These, he said, are precisely the places where “our missionary outreach is desperately needed.”
Speaking in Italian and briefly in English, the new pope condemned the growing tendency to substitute faith with materialism and technology. “The Christian faith is increasingly viewed as absurd, as something for the weak or unintelligent,” he said, warning of a society plagued by “the loss of meaning in life, the neglect of mercy, and violations of human dignity.”
He also cautioned against reducing Jesus to “a charismatic leader or superman,” stating that such distortions exist even among baptised Christians who live in “practical atheism.”
Opening his homily with an unscripted remark in English, Leo XIV called for unity among cardinals. “I know I can rely on each and every one of you to walk with me,” he said, highlighting internal Church divisions as one of the many challenges he faces.
The surprise election of an American pontiff — long considered unlikely — sent shockwaves through both Vatican circles and the wider Catholic world. Known affectionately in Rome as the “Latin Yankee” for his missionary work in Peru, Leo’s rise has drawn comparisons to his predecessor, also from the Americas and similarly focused on the Church’s peripheries.
“It’s almost more surprising than an Argentine Jesuit pope,” wrote Corriere della Sera, reflecting on the historic shift.
Leo’s election footage, released by the Vatican, showed him praying quietly after his confirmation, followed by emotional congratulations from his fellow cardinals. On Thursday, tens of thousands gathered in St Peter’s Square for his first public appearance, many unfamiliar with the man before them but cheered by his humility and soft-spoken demeanor.
“He showed his simplicity and closeness to the people,” said Bishop Luis Alberto Barrera of El Callao, Peru, where Prevost had previously served.
In his hometown of Chicago, tributes poured in for the South Side native known for his love of baseball and deep-dish pizza. The Chicago Tribune celebrated him as “the pride and joy” of his local parish. A lighthearted debate also erupted over his baseball allegiance, with his brother confirming Leo’s support for the White Sox.
Back in Rome, the new pontiff is already being closely watched. His Sunday Regina Coeli address and Monday’s meeting with journalists are expected to offer further insight into his priorities.
In his first public address as pope on Thursday, Leo XIV echoed Francis’s call for peace and emphasized the need for dialogue and unity. “Help us build bridges,” he urged, “to come together as one people, always in peace.”
Global leaders, including former U.S. President Donald Trump — despite past ideological differences — welcomed Leo’s election. Trump described it as “a great honour” for the United States.
While Leo XIV inherits a Church grappling with internal rifts, declining membership in parts of the world, and the ongoing fallout from clerical abuse scandals, observers say his election signals continuity with Francis’s progressive path. Vatican analyst Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi described the new pope as “a very simple person, intensely kind,” adding: “He is in the vein of Francis, but less spiky.”
As he begins his papacy, Leo XIV is expected to blend pastoral warmth with administrative experience — a quiet force at the helm of a Church facing turbulent global tides.
