Pope Leo XIV comes into his office with a call to unity and love

Pope Leo XIV comes into his office with a call to unity and love

Vatikanstadt, Italien - On May 18, 2025, Pope Leo XIV was officially introduced to his office in Rome. At this solemn ceremony, hundreds of thousands of people, including high -ranking international politicians such as Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, the Ukrainian President Wolodymyr Selenskyj and Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz. The new Pope broke the protocol during his inauguration by hugging his older brother Louis Prevost, who had traveled from Florida. Louis Prevost was part of the official US delegation, which was led by Vice President JD Vance and Foreign Minister Marco Rubio.

In his sermon, Leo XIV recalled the death of his predecessor, Pope Francis, and expressed his grief about it. He felt like "sheep without shepherds" and emphasized the responsibility to preserve the legacy of Christian faith today. The new Pope advocated a "united church in a reconciled world" and thanked Francis for his service. In his speech, he pointed out the challenges that the church faces and asked the believers to stand up for an end to the discord and wounds by hatred, violence and prejudices.

call to unity and love

Leo XIV emphasized the need for love and unity within the church by referring to the words of St. Augustine: "You created us with regard to yourself, [Lord], and our heart is restless until it rests in you." He explained that the true authority of the Church was the love of Christ, not forced or power. The new Pope made it clear that the broadcast of the Pope encompasses the love and unity that Jesus entrusted to Peter.

he encouraged the believers to bring the gospel hope to the world and to recognize the importance of cooperation with other religious communities and people of goodwill. Leo XIV called to bring God's love and build a new world of peace to the world. In this context, he reminded of the suggestions of his predecessor, Pope Francis, who called on religions, to combat a "culture of individualism, the exclusion, indifference and violence" and to promote friedness as well as peace.

a new era of interreligious cooperation

Pope Francis received participants in the interreligious “All Religions Conference” in the Vatican in November 2024. This historical event was organized on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the conference, which was created by the Indian spiritual Sree Narayana Guru. In his speech, Francis pointed out the need to follow the teachings of religions and to maintain fraternal relationships.

also Leo XIV. Castle to the community with an appeal to approach God as brothers and sisters and to love each other. He made it clear that the questions of faith and hope in today's world are more important than ever and that unity plays a central role in diversity. In his endeavor to spread the Christian message and make the world a better place, he continues the legacy of Pope Francis.

Overall, the inauguration of Leo XIV shows not only the change in the Catholic Church, but also the urgency for peace and unity in an increasingly divided world. The challenges that he faces are shaped by his commitment and his wish to live the gospel in a time of uncertainty.