Additional Coverage:
- Pope Leo XIV officially reopens papal apartments for the first time since the death of Pope Francis (irishstar.com)
Vatican City – In his first act as head of the Catholic Church, Pope Leo XIV unsealed the papal apartments within the Apostolic Palace. The Vatican press office released a video of the historic moment, showing the first American Pope performing the ceremonial act.
Though Pope Francis, who passed away in April, resided in the Vatican guesthouse, the sealing of the papal apartments is traditional following a papal death. It remains unknown whether Pope Leo XIV will reside in the Apostolic Palace or choose another location.
The new pontiff has quickly begun outlining his views. During his first meeting with the Vatican diplomatic corps, he emphasized the Church’s traditional stance on family, defining it as a “stable union between a man and a woman.”
He also reaffirmed the sanctity of life, speaking on the inherent dignity of both the unborn and the elderly. Further, Pope Leo XIV expressed his commitment to multilateral diplomacy and interfaith dialogue in pursuit of peace.
The meeting with the diplomatic corps, a customary post-conclave duty, allows the new Pope to formally welcome envoys from the over 180 nations that maintain diplomatic ties with the Holy See.
From his first proclamation of “Peace be with you all” following his election on May 8th, Pope Leo XIV, an Augustine, has set a clear tone of pacifism for his papacy. He has stressed that peace is more than the absence of conflict.
It is an active pursuit requiring effort, including halting the production of weapons and choosing words carefully, noting that “words too, not only weapons, can wound and even kill.” He has called upon governments to invest in families, and for all people to uphold the dignity of every individual, particularly the most vulnerable, “from the unborn to the elderly, from the sick to the unemployed, citizens and immigrants alike.”