Léon XIV’s striking words since the start of his pontificate

Leon XIV and Peace

• “Peace be with you!” It is the peace of risen Christ, a disarmed and disarming, humble and persevering peace ” May 8, 2025, speech of Habemus Papam.

• “” I carry in my heart the sufferings of the beloved Ukrainian people. That we are doing everything possible to reach authentic peace as soon as possible, fair and lasting »» May 11, 2025, after the Marian prayer of Regina Caeli.

• “(Peace) is (…) an active, engaging gift, which concerns and implies each of us, regardless of our cultural origin and our religious affiliation, and which requires above all a work on oneself” May 16, 2025, speech to the diplomatic corps near Vatican.

• “Peace is built in the heart and from the heart, by derassing pride and claims, and by measuring its language, because one can hurt and also kill by words, not only by weapons »» May 16, 2025, speech to the diplomatic corps near Vatican.

• “From the Gaza Strip, always rise more intense to the sky the cries of mothers, fathers who tighten the lifeless bodies of their children »» May 28, 2025, general audience.

Leon XVI and the Christian East

• “The splendor of the Christian East today asks more than ever to be released from any worldly dependence and any tendency contrary to communion, in order to be faithful to obedience and evangelical testimony” May 14, 2025, speech to the participants of the Jubilee of the Eastern Churches.

Léon XIV and the family, youth

• “Young people of our time, like those of all times, are a volcano of life, energies, feelings, ideas. It shows in the wonderful things they can do, in many areas ” May 15, 2025, speech to Christian schools.

• “It is the responsibility of those who have government responsibilities to endeavor to build harmonious and pacified civil societies. This can be accomplished above all by focusing on the family based on the stable union between a man and a woman ” May 16, 2025, speech to the diplomatic corps near Vatican.

• “It is in families that the future of peoples is built »» June 1, 2025, Homely Mass of the Jubilee of families, children, grandparents and the elderly.

• “The world of today needs the marital alliance to know and welcome the love of God »» June 1, 2025, Homely of the jubilee mass of families, children, grandparents and the elderly.

• “Marriage is not an ideal, but the norm of true love between man and woman: a total, faithful, fruitful love »» June 1, 2025, Homely Mass of the Jubilee of families, children, grandparents and the elderly.

• “I salute all families, small domestic churches, where the Gospel is welcomed and transmitted. The family originated in the love with which the creator embraces the world created »» June 1, 2025, after the Marian prayer of Regina Caeli.

• “I would like to say, especially to young people, not to wait, but to respond enthusiastically to the Lord who calls us to work in his vineyard. Do not take long, roll up your sleeves, because the Lord is generous and you will not be disappointed! By working in his vineyard, you will find an answer to this deep question that you carry in you: what is the meaning of my life? »» June 4, 2025, general audience.

Leon XIV and the Church

• “The pope, from Saint Peter to me, his unworthy successor, is a humble servant of God and his brothers, and nothing else” May 10, 2025, speech at Cardinalice College.

• “The Church can never escape its duty to tell the truth about man and the world, using if necessary for a frank language” May 16, 2025, speech to the diplomatic corps near Vatican.

• “I was chosen without any merit and, with fear and tremors, I come to you as a brother who wants to make the servant of your faith and your joy »» May 18, 2025, homily of the pontificate inauguration mass.

• “The popes pass, the Curia remains. This applies in each particular church, for episcopal curies. And this also applies to the Curie of the Bishop of Rome »» May 24, 2025, meeting with the employees of the Holy See and the Vatican City.

• “The Church is fundamentally turned outwards, as are the life, passion, death and resurrection of Jesus” May 31, 2025, homily of the Mass of the Visitation Festival.

Leon XIV and the social doctrine of the Church

• “Social doctrine (of the Church) teaches us to recognize that the way we approach the problems is more important than the problems themselves or that the solutions that we find to them” May 17, 2025, speech to the members of the Foundation Centesimus annus pro pontifice.

Leon XIV and life

• “We have received life even before we want it »» May 31, 2025, homily of the Mass of the Visitation Festival.

• “Our world struggles to find a value in human life, even in its last hour: that the Spirit of the Lord illuminates our intelligences, so that we can defend the intrinsic dignity of any human person »» June 4, 2025, general audience.

Léon XIV and unity

• “Let us help each other to build bridges (…) by uniting us all to be a unique people” May 8, 2025, speech of Habemus Papam.

• “It is important that we all learn more to listen to, to enter into dialogue. Above all with the Lord: always listen to the Word of God »» May 11, 2025, Homely of Mass in the Vatican caves.

• “I would like it to be our first great desire: a united church, a sign of unity and communion, which becomes closed for a reconciled world” May 18, 2025, homily of the pontificate inauguration mass.

• “As a bishop of Rome, I consider as one of my priority duties the search for the restoration of the full and visible communion between all those who profess the same faith in God Father, Son and Holy Spirit »» May 19, 2025, speech to representatives of other churches and ecclesial communities.

• “Unity has always been a constant concern for me, as evidenced by the motto that I chose for my episcopal ministry: In illelo UNUM (In the one who is one, let’s be ain French), an expression of Saint Augustine of Hippone which recalls that we too, although we are numerous, in the only one-that is to say Christ-we are a “ May 19, 2025, speech to representatives of other churches and ecclesial communities.
  

• “It is in the Trinity that all things find their unity” May 22, 2025, speech to the participants of the General Assembly of Pontifical Missionary Works.

• “Christ is our Savior and in him we are one, a family of God, beyond the rich diversity of our languages, our cultures and our experiences” May 22, 2025, speech to the participants of the general assembly of missionary pontifical works.

• “Communion is built above all“ kneeling ”, in prayer and in a continuous commitment to conversion. It is only in this tension, in fact, that everyone can hear in him the voice of the mind that shouts: “Abba! Father!” (GA 4, 6) and, therefore, listen and understand others as brothers »» May 25, 2025, homily of the mass of taking possession of the chair of the bishop of Rome (Italy).

• “The joy of God is not noisy, but it really transforms history and brings us closer to each other” May 31, 2025, homily of the Mass of the Visitation Festival.

Leon XIV and ecology

• “Ten years ago, Pope Francis signed the encyclical Laudato if ‘devoted to the care of the common house. She experienced an extraordinary dissemination, inspiring innumerable initiatives and teacher to everyone to listen to the double cry of the earth and the poor. I salute and encourage the Laudato movement if ‘and all those who continue this commitment »» May 25, 2025, Regina Caeli.

Leon XIV and love

• “God wants us good, God loves you all, and evil will not triumph!” »» May 8, 2025, speech of Habemus Papam.

• “We are used to calculating things – and it is sometimes necessary – but that does not apply to love!” »» May 21, 2025, general audience.

• “If we must all cooperate with the great cause of unity and love, let us seek to do it above all by our attitude in daily situations, starting with our work environment” May 24, 2025, meeting with the employees of the Holy See and the Vatican City.

• “Before being a religious question, compassion is a question of humanity!” Before being believers, we are called to human being ” May 28, 2025, general audience.

Leon XIV and faith

• “Even today, there are many contexts where the Christian faith is considered to be absurd, reserved for weak and not intelligent people; contexts where we prefer other certainties, such as technology, money, success, power, pleasure »» May 9, 2025, mass Pro Ecclesia Celebrated with cardinals voters.

• “Disappear so that Christ remains, to be small to be known and glorified” May 9, 2025, mass Pro Ecclesia Celebrated with cardinals voters.

• “It is God who makes history move, even if he sometimes seems absent or distant »» May 21, 2025, general audience.

• “Faith and prayer are like salt for food, they give flavor »» May 24, 2025, meeting with the employees of the Holy See and the Vatican City.

• “It is our faith that gives us strength. It is our faith that allows us to see the light of Jesus Christ in our lives and to understand how important it is to live our faith ” May 26, 2025, speaking during the jubilee pilgrimage for peace in Africa.
  

• “The lack of hope is sometimes due to the fact that we set ourselves on a certain rigid and close to seeing things” May 28, 2025, general audience.

• “The Risen Christ shows us his wounds; Although they are the sign of the rejection of humanity, it forgives us and sends us ” May 31, 2025, homily of the Mass of the Visitation Festival.
  

• “So let’s look at our existence as a path to follow Jesus, to walk (…) with Mary. And let’s ask the Lord to know how to praise us every day, “with life and with language, with the heart and with the lips, with the voice and with the conduct”, avoiding disagreement: the language in accordance with life and lips with consciousness “ May 31, 2025, speaking at the conclusion of May.

• “In the family, faith is transmitted with life, from generation to generation: it is shared like food on the table and the affections of the heart” June 1, 2025, Homely Mass of the Jubilee of families, children, grandparents and the elderly.

Léon XIV and France

• “There can be no more beautiful and simpler evangelization and mission program for your country (France): to make everyone discover the love of tenderness and predilection that Jesus has for him, to the point of transforming life” May 28, 2025, message on the occasion of the 100 years of the canonizations of the parish priest of Ars, Saint Jean-Eudes and Saint Thérèse de Lisieux.
• “I am happy to be able to show you my paternal affection and to send you my best encouragement for the continuation of your ministry to the service of the people of God who is entrusted to you” June 5, 2025, message to the priests of Ile-de-France gathered for a jubilee of priests in Paris.