On Thursday, 8 May 2025, history was made as Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost was elected the 267th Pope of the Catholic Church, taking the name Pope Leo XIV. Appearing for the first time on the central loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica, the newly elected pontiff greeted the faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square—and the entire world—with a powerful and deeply spiritual address. His first words, “Peace be with you all,” echoed the greeting of the Risen Christ and set the tone for his nascent papacy.
In this article, we present the full transcript of Pope Leo XIV’s first message as pope, followed by a theological and pastoral analysis of its key themes.
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Full Transcript of Pope Leo XIV’s First Address (Urbi et Orbi)
Peace be with you!
Dearest brothers and sisters, this was the first greeting of the risen Christ, the Good Shepherd who gave His life for the flock of God. I, too, would like this greeting of peace to enter your hearts, to reach your families, and all people, wherever they are; to all peoples, and all the earth: Peace be with you.
This is the peace of the Risen Christ—a disarming, humble, and persevering peace. It comes from God. God, who loves all of us without any limits or conditions.
Let us keep in our ears the weak but brave voice of Pope Francis, who blessed Rome and the world that Easter morning. Allow me to continue that same blessing. God loves us, all of us. Evil will not prevail. We are all in the hands of God.
Without fear, united, hand in hand with God and among ourselves, we will go forward. We are disciples of Christ. Christ goes before us. The world needs His light. Humanity needs Him as a bridge to reach God and His love. Help us build bridges through dialogue and encounter, so we may be one people, always in peace.
Thank you, Pope Francis.
Thank you to my brother cardinals who have chosen me to be the Successor of Peter. I walk together with you as a united Church, always searching for peace and justice, faithful to Jesus Christ without fear, proclaiming Christ, being missionaries of the Gospel.
I am a son of Saint Augustine—an Augustinian. He once said, “With you I am a Christian, for you I am a bishop.” So may we all walk together toward that homeland God has prepared for us.
To the Church of Rome, a special greeting:
Let us look together at how to be a missionary Church—building bridges, embracing dialogue, always open to receiving everyone, like this square with its arms outstretched, welcoming all who need our charity, presence, love.
[In Spanish:]
Hello to all, especially to those of my Diocese of Chiclayo in Peru—a loyal, faithful people who walked with their bishop and supported him.[Back in Italian:]
To all the brothers and sisters of Rome, of Italy, of the world—we want a synodal Church: walking together, always seeking peace, charity, and closeness, especially to those who are suffering.Today is the Supplicatio to Our Lady of Pompei. Our Blessed Mother always wants to walk with us, be close to us, and help us with her intercession and love.
Let us pray together for this mission, for the whole Church, and for peace in the world.
Hail Mary…
Analysis: Themes and Significance of Pope Leo XIV’s First Words
1. A Papacy Rooted in Peace
The phrase “Peace be with you” was not just a greeting but a theological anchor. By invoking the Risen Christ’s first words to the disciples (John 20:19), Pope Leo XIV placed his pontificate firmly within the Easter mystery—emphasising the Resurrection as the source of Christian hope and the foundation of global peace.
His repetition of the phrase, extending it to “all people, to all the earth,” was a clear signal: this is a pope for the whole world, not only the Church.
2. Continuity with Pope Francis
Pope Leo’s emotional reference to Pope Francis—who had blessed the world on Easter morning just before his death—was a humble and poignant tribute. He referred to Francis’s voice as “weak but brave,” and then said, “Allow me to continue that same blessing.” This continuity is not merely ceremonial; it expresses his intention to carry forward Francis’s legacy of humility, simplicity, and emphasis on synodality.
3. A Call to Courage and Unity
“Evil will not prevail. We are all in the hands of God.” These bold words are an unflinching declaration that, despite the darkness the world may face—whether wars, moral confusion, or suffering—the Church and her people must go forward without fear.
This is a Pope who does not shy away from the spiritual battle but instead invites Catholics to engage it with courage, together with God.
4. Bridge-Building Through Dialogue
Like his predecessors, Pope Leo XIV spoke about the importance of building bridges. However, he grounded this goal in Christ: “Humanity needs Him like a bridge to be reached by God and His love.” The Church’s task is not merely diplomatic or sociological—it is missionary, deeply evangelical, and rooted in divine love.
5. An Augustinian Heart
Drawing from his roots in the Augustinian Order, Pope Leo invoked St. Augustine’s line: “With you I am a Christian, for you I am a bishop.” It reflects a profound pastoral humility—an understanding that the pope, first and foremost, is a brother among Christians, a servant-leader who must walk with the people.
6. Embrace of the Synodal Vision
He echoed Pope Francis’s call for a synodal Church—a Church that listens, walks together, and engages in dialogue. But he went further by painting a vivid image of St. Peter’s Square as a place of welcome, its open arms symbolic of a Church that receives “everyone who needs our charity, our presence, dialogue, love.”
7. Marian Devotion and Global Prayer
Fittingly, his first public prayer as pope was a Hail Mary, offered on the feast of the Supplicatio to Our Lady of Pompei. It was a deeply Catholic gesture—inviting the crowd in St. Peter’s Square and viewers around the world to join in immediate prayer for his papacy, the Church, and world peace.
A Pontificate That Begins with Peace and Mission
Pope Leo XIV’s first address to the world was brief but profound—full of theological resonance, pastoral sensitivity, and missionary zeal.
READ MORE: WHO IS POPE LEO XIV? MEET CARDINAL ROBERT PREVOST
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