As the Catholic Church welcomed its 267th pope, Leo XIV — elected May 8 — attention quickly turned to the first moments of his pontificate. The first weeks of a papacy often give a hint as to how the entire pontificate will look.
- In his first words as pope May 8, Pope Leo described himself as a “son of St. Augustine,” signaling his deep roots in the Augustinian tradition. Here’s the background on the Order of St. Augustine.
- The Catholic community is alive, beautiful and strong, and it is up to its pastors to protect and nourish the faithful and to help bring God’s hope to the whole world, Pope Leo said in his first formal speech to the College of Cardinals May 10 — which you can read here.
- Less than 48 hours after being elected, the pope traveled 40 miles southeast from the Vatican to pray at the Shrine of Our Lady of Good Counsel in Genazzano, which is cared for by the Augustinians. And on his way back to the Vatican he prayed at the tomb of Pope Francis and before the icon of Mary “Salus Populi Romani” (health of the Roman people) in the Basilica of St. Mary Major.
- With a huge and festive crowd gathered in St. Peter’s Square May 11, Pope Leo led his first Sunday recitation of the “Regina Coeli” prayer and urged all Catholics to pray for vocations, especially to the priesthood and religious life. Full text of the Regina Coeli address.
- In a May 12 audience, Pope Leo asked journalists to be peacemakers by shunning prejudice and anger in their reporting, and called for the release of journalists imprisoned for their work. Read his words to the media.
- Among his first messages, Pope Leo expressed his intention to strengthen the Catholic Church’s ties with the Jewish community in a message to Rabbi Noam Marans, director of interreligious affairs at the American Jewish Committee (AJC). The pope’s message signed May 8 — the day of his election — was posted on the AJC’s X account May 13.
- During a May 14 meeting with Eastern Catholics, many of whom come from war-torn regions of the world, Pope Leo pledged the Vatican’s full commitment to promoting peace and reconciliation. Read what the pope had to say.
- Teaching should be lived as ministry and mission, Pope Leo told the Brothers of the Christian Schools, also known as the De La Salle Brothers or the Christian Brothers, on May 15. Read the pope’s words on education.
- The Catholic Church wants to reach out and embrace all people who need and yearn for truth, justice and peace, Pope Leo said in his first meeting with the diplomatic corps accredited to the Holy See May 16. Read what the pope said to diplomats.
- Pope Leo will officially inaugurate his papacy with Mass in St. Peter’s Square May 18. Among state dignitaries, Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio will be in attendance.
- The transition of papal social media accounts took place this week — the pope’s new Instagram handle is @pontifex, and nine accounts on X continue to share papal messages in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, French, German, Polish, Arabic and Latin: @Pontifex, @Pontifex_es, @Pontifex_pt, @Pontifex_it, @Pontifex_fr, @Pontifex_de, @Pontifex_pl, @Pontifex_ar and @Pontifex_ln.
- The pope’s boyhood home in Dolton, Illinois, has seen hard times since the Prevosts left it many years ago. Yet, Pope Leo’s election brings hope to the neighborhood.
- Cardinal Michael Czerny, prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, said, “The issue of work is of vital importance to the vast majority of people on the planet” and Pope Leo has made it clear that it is an issue important to him as well.
- In Peru, Pope Leo’s election was not just a global Catholic moment — it was deeply personal to Peruvians. His Augustinian brothers in Peru are also reflecting on his time with them.
Dominican Father Thomas Joseph White, rector of the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas, believes Leo’s formation — blending law, mission and pastoral care — uniquely equips him to unify a polarized church. Pope Leo went to the Angelicum for both his licentiate and doctorate in canon law: Father White read the pope’s doctoral thesis on servant leadership and explained it in this interview.
Amid an immigration enforcement crackdown in Nashville that has emptied the pews at several Spanish-speaking parishes, the Diocese of Nashville is reminding the faithful that, following the church’s own teaching and canon law, they are not required to attend Sunday Mass if they fear for their well-being.
The U.S. bishops recently released an updated version of their 2015 pastoral letter on the dangers of pornography, a document they said is “still needed today” amid increased social acceptance of — and addiction to — such material.
As Pope Leo is inaugurated in Rome May 18, the Catholic Church in the U.S. launches the 2025 National Eucharistic Pilgrimage from Indianapolis — a five-week, 3,300-mile journey to Los Angeles through 10 states and 20 dioceses. This year’s Drexel Route ends June 22 in fire-ravaged Los Angeles with a Mass and celebration on the solemnity of Corpus Christi.
Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Arlington has confirmed to OSV News that its offices are assisting with some travel expenses, at the request of the state of Virginia, for dozens of white South Africans, whose refugee applications were expedited by the Trump administration due to what the State Department called “racial discrimination.”
The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments May 15 over the Trump administration’s executive order to end birthright citizenship for children born in the U.S. to parents without legal status or temporary visa holders, and whether federal judges could properly block that order.
A report released earlier this year estimates that the Catholic Church in Minnesota contributes more than $5 billion annually in economic benefits to the state, with the largest economic contributions being in the health care and education sectors.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order May 12 that he said would lower prescription drug costs — an issue the U.S. bishops have flagged in recent years — but the exact potential impact of the order was the subject of debate. The order sets a 30-day deadline for drug companies to voluntarily lower their prices.
Planned Parenthood’s latest annual report shows an increase in abortions from the previous year’s report, while also showing a $100 million increase in government funding amid an overall decrease in cancer screenings and prevention services.
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