Pope Leo XIV’s First Words Echo the Risen Christ: “Peace Be With You All!”

The world watched in awe as Pope Leo XIV, the first U.S.-born pope, stepped onto the loggia of St Peter’s Basilica on 8 May, following his election as the 266th successor of St Peter. His first words as pontiff were striking—not only because they came from a pope from the United States, a historic first—but because they were not his own words at all.

Instead, Pope Leo greeted the faithful around the globe with the words of the resurrected Christ:
“Peace be with you all!”

“These are the first words spoken by the risen Christ,” Pope Leo explained, “the Good Shepherd who laid down his life for God’s flock.”

His choice of greeting served as a powerful spiritual signal, placing Christ at the centre of his pontificate from the very beginning.