Celebrating Mass in the Sistine Chapel alongside the College of Cardinals, Pope Leo XIV opened with heartfelt words before switching to Italian and Latin, the traditional liturgical languages of the Vatican.
"I'll begin with a word in English, and the rest is in Italian," he said gently, pausing for a moment before continuing: "But I want to repeat the words from the Responsorial Psalm. I will sing a new song to the Lord because he has done marvels."
With those words, the new pontiffâ€"Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, now Pope Leo XIVâ€"invited the Church to recognize the grace and wonders of God not only in his own election, but in the collective journey of the Church itself.
"And indeed, not just with me, but with all of us, my brother cardinals, as we celebrate this morning, I invite you to recognize the marvels that the Lord has done, the blessings that the Lord continues to pour out upon all of us."
In his brief English introduction, Pope Leo XIV emphasized themes of gratitude, humility, and shared mission, calling on the cardinals to accompany him in service to the Church and the world.
"Through the ministry of Peter, you have called me to carry that cross and to be blessed with that mission. And I know I can rely on each and every one of you to walk with me as we continue, as a church, as a community of friends of Jesus, as believers, to announce the good news, to announce the gospel."
"God has called me by your election to succeed the Prince of the Apostles, and has entrusted this treasure to me so that, with his help, I may be its faithful administrator..." he added.
The choice to begin in Englishâ€"spoken in his native Chicago and around the globeâ€"was not only personal but pastoral, offering a sign of accessibility to a global audience at a time when the Catholic Church is increasingly diverse and interconnected.
By invoking the image of the Church as a "community of friends of Jesus," Pope Leo XIV set a tone of closeness, fraternity, and evangelization for his pontificate.
His words echoed across the chapel and beyond, offering a message of hope, unity, and spiritual renewal as he steps into the role of shepherd to more than a billion Catholics worldwide.
Théophile Niyitegeka
