Pope Leo XIV: record visitors and message of hope in the Vatican!

Pope Leo XIV: record visitors and message of hope in the Vatican!

In the Vatican, 2.9 million people took part in various events organized by Pope Leo XIV over the past eight months. This number is more than four times the number of visitors to Pope Francis in all of 2024, according to the Small newspaper reported. However, the attendance records were not reached at the beginning of Francis' pontificate. In Francis' first year, 2013, around 7.3 million people were drawn to the Vatican, and in 2014 it was 5.9 million. Before the coronavirus pandemic, annual visitor numbers fell to as many as 2.4 million, a level last reached in 2022.

The interest in Leo XIV's events shows a new dynamic in the papacy that appeals to the faithful in one way or another. During the general audience in St. Peter's Square, which attracted around 40,000 pilgrims and visitors, Pope Leo XIV spoke, for example, about the healings of Jesus and their symbolic meaning for people's lives of faith. The Pope encouraged those present to approach Christ in their vulnerability and ask for help. This message was illustrated by the biblical figure of blind Bartimaeus, who is interpreted as an image of people in existential distress.

Theme of healings

In his catechesis, Leo XIV recalled Bartimaeus, who, despite his blindness, cried out: “Son of David, Jesus, have mercy on me!” Leo presents these words as a prayer in the Eastern tradition. Jesus' reaction to Bartimaeus' cry is interpreted as an encouraging act and shows that the desire for change cannot be taken for granted. Bartimaeus must make a conscious decision by removing his cloak, a symbol of his security. For Leo XIV, healing is a conscious decision and not an automatic process.

The pope urged believers to bring their illnesses and those of their loved ones to Jesus, and he addressed the pain of those who feel lost. He encouraged everyone to trust in God's hearing. He called on German-speaking pilgrims in particular to turn to Jesus with confidence - in the spirit of Bartimaeus.

The papacy in historical context

The papacy has its roots in late antiquity and claims succession to the apostle Simon Peter. Tradition holds that Peter and Paul were martyred in Rome, which strengthened the prestige of the papacy from the start. How on Wikipedia can be read, the popes gained an independent political role through the Papal States, which repeatedly led to conflicts with other rulers. There were disputes over the appointment of bishops, particularly between the reform popes and the Salian and Hohenstaufen rulers.

The papacy has continued to develop over the centuries. In the 20th century, for example, popes encouraged the formation of native ecclesiastical hierarchies outside Europe. Pope John Paul II was the first non-Italian pope since 1523 and set a conservative course in church politics. Pope Francis, on the other hand, focuses on mercy and social responsibility.

Leo The high number of pilgrims and the positive feedback to his messages suggest that Leo XIV found a way to appeal to and inspire the faithful.