On the first Sunday of his pontificate, Pope Leo XIV appeared at the central loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica to lead the faithful in the Regina Caeli prayer, marking Good Shepherd Sunday, the Fourth Sunday of Easter, and the 62nd World Day of Prayer for Vocations.
The new Pope, Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, 69, taking the name Leo XIV, was celebrated on May 8 with his election as the 267th Pope, the first American-born pope, in the Church’s 2,000-year history.
As white smoke rises from the Sistine Chapel’s chimney and the bells of St. Peter’s Basilica ring out, the world receives the joyful news: Habemus Papam — We have a Pope! But what exactly unfolds behind the scenes before this historic announcement is made?
In a moving ceremony that gathered faithful from around the world, the Exequial Holy Mass for the late Pope Francis was celebrated this morning at the parvis of the Patriarchal Vatican Basilica.
The Fabric of Saint Peter presented its latest efforts in conserving and enhancing the Papal Basilica of Saint Peter during a press conference held at the Holy See Press Office on Friday, April 11.
On November 17, Pope Francis will mark the World Day of the Poor by sharing lunch with over 1,300 impoverished people in Rome, following Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica.
