This Sunday, May 25, Pope Leo XIV took possession of the Basilica of St. John Lateran as Bishop of Rome, with a Mass during which he also received greetings from the faithful of the Italian capital.
Below is the homily given by Pope Leo XIV:
I extend a cordial greeting to the Cardinals present here, in particular to the Cardinal Vicar, also to the Auxiliary Bishops and all the bishops, to the dear priests—parish priests, parish vicars, and all those who in various ways collaborate in the pastoral care of our communities—as well as to the deacons, the men and women religious, the authorities, and all of you, beloved faithful.
The Church of Rome is the heir to a great history, consolidated in the witness of Peter, Paul, and countless martyrs, and has a unique mission, perfectly indicated by what is written on the façade of this cathedral: to be Mater omnium Ecclesiarum , Mother of all the Churches. Pope Francis frequently invited us to reflect on the maternal dimension of the Church (cf. Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium , 46-49, 139-141; Catechesis, 13 January 2016) and on her own characteristics: tenderness, willingness to sacrifice, and that capacity for listening that allows us not only to help, but often to anticipate needs and expectations, even before they are expressed. These are traits that we hope will grow in the People of God everywhere, also here, in our great diocesan family: in the faithful, in the pastors, and, above all, in myself. The readings we have heard can help us reflect on these attributes.
The Acts of the Apostles (cf. 15:1-2, 22-29) in particular recounts how the early community faced the challenge of opening itself to the pagan world for the proclamation of the Gospel. It was not an easy process; it required great patience and mutual listening. This was first seen within the community of Antioch, where the brothers, through dialogue—even discussion—could resolve together the issue at hand. Later, Paul and Barnabas went up to Jerusalem. They did not make their own decisions, but sought communion with the Mother Church and came to her with humility.
There they found Peter and the Apostles, who listened to them. A dialogue ensued that ultimately led to the right decision: recognizing and taking into account the efforts of the neophytes, it was better not to impose excessive burdens on them, but to limit themselves to asking for the essentials (cf. Acts 15:28-29). In this way, what might have seemed like a problem became an opportunity for everyone to reflect and grow.
The biblical text, however, tells us something more, beyond the already rich and interesting human dynamics of the event.
This is revealed to us in the words that the brothers in Jerusalem addressed in a letter to those in Antioch, communicating the decision they had made. They write: “The Holy Spirit and we ourselves have decided” (cf. Acts 15:28). They specify that, throughout the entire process, the most important listening that made everything else possible was listening to the voice of God. In this way, they remind us that communion is built above all “on our knees,” in prayer and in a continual commitment to conversion. Only in this tension, in fact, can each person feel within themselves the voice of the Spirit crying: “Abba, Father” (cf. Gal 4:6) and consequently hear and understand each other as brothers and sisters.
The Gospel also reiterates this message (cf. Jn 14:23-29), telling us that we are not alone in life’s decisions. The Spirit sustains us and shows us the way forward, “teaching” us and “reminding” us of all that Jesus said (cf. Jn 14:26).
First of all, the Spirit teaches us the Lord’s words, imprinting them deeply within us, according to the biblical image of the law, no longer written on tablets of stone, but in our hearts (cf. Jer 31:33). This gift helps us grow, becoming “a letter from Christ” (2 Cor 3:3) to one another. And indeed, this is so: we are all the more capable of proclaiming the Gospel the more we allow ourselves to be conquered and transformed by Him, allowing the power of the Spirit to purify us in our very depths, making our words simple and without duplicity, our desires honest and pure, and our actions generous.
And here the other verb comes into play, “to remember,” that is, to redirect the heart’s attention to what we have experienced and learned, to penetrate more deeply into its meaning and savor its beauty.
In this regard, I am thinking of the committed journey the Diocese of Rome has been taking in recent years, structured on several levels of listening: to the world around it—to embrace its challenges—and within the community—to understand its needs and promote wise and prophetic initiatives of evangelization and charity. It is a difficult journey, still ongoing, that attempts to embrace a very rich, but also very complex, reality. It is, however, a journey worthy of the history of this Church, which has often shown that it knows how to think “big,” committing itself unreservedly to bold projects, and even taking risks in the face of new and complex situations.
This is a sign of the tremendous work the entire diocese has done, in recent days, for the Jubilee, welcoming and caring for pilgrims and in so many other initiatives. Thanks to these many efforts, the city appears to those who come—sometimes from far away—as a large, open and welcoming house, and above all, as a home of faith.
For my part, I express my desire and commitment to enter into this vast project by listening, as far as possible, to everyone, to learn, understand, and decide together: “Christian with you and Bishop for you,” as Saint Augustine said (cf. Sermon 340, 1). I ask you to help me achieve this through a common effort of prayer and charity, recalling the words of Saint Leo the Great: “In all things we do right, it is Christ who accomplishes the work of our ministry. We do not boast in ourselves, since we can do nothing without him, but in him who is our power” (Serm. 5, De natali ipsius, 4).
To these words I would like to add, in conclusion, those of Blessed John Paul I, who on 23 September 1978, with the radiant and serene face that had already earned him the epithet “the smiling Pope”, greeted his new diocesan family in this way: “Saint Pius X, upon entering Venice as Patriarch, exclaimed in St. Mark’s: “What would become of me, Venetians, if I did not love you?” I say something similar to the Romans: I can assure you that I love you, that I only wish to serve you and to make available to all my meager strength, all the little that I have and that I am” (Homily at the inauguration of the Chair in Rome, 23 September 1978).
I, too, would like to express my complete affection, with the desire to share with you, on our common journey, joys and sorrows, hardships and hopes. In the same way, I offer you “all the little that I have and that I am,” and I entrust this to the intercession of Saints Peter and Paul and to that of so many other brothers and sisters whose holiness has illuminated the history of this Church and the streets of this city. May the Virgin Mary accompany us and intercede for us.