Pope Leo XIV’s First Words as Pontiff After His Historic Election

On May 8, 2025, Vatican News published an article announcing the appointment of the new pope. Within their message, they revealed the newly elected pontiff’s first remarks, which he addressed to the audience gathered before him in Vatican City. This follows the news outlet’s previous announcement about the then-upcoming conclave.

Just moments after creating history as the 267th Bishop of Rome, Pope Leo XIV greeted the world with a message steeped in humility and hope.

Standing before a sea of faithful people gathered in Saint Peter’s Square, his voice rang clear from the central loggia of the basilica. “Peace be with all of you!” exclaimed Pope Leo. It was a simple yet profound declaration.

The announcement came with ceremonial grandeur as Cardinal Protodeacon Dominique Mamberti emerged before the crowd to utter the traditional Latin formula — “Annuntio vobis gaudium: Habemus Papam.”

Translated, the phrase resounded with centuries of tradition, “I announce to you a great joy: We have a Pope.”

He then revealed the name of the newly elected leader, “The Most Eminent and Most Reverend Lord Robert Francis Cardinal of the Holy Roman Church Prevost,” and declared that he had taken the papal name Leo XIV, marking the beginning of a new chapter for the Catholic Church.

The significance of Pope Leo’s election was further underscored by the extraordinary nature of the conclave that delivered it — an event Vatican News had previewed just days earlier. In an article published on May 1, the outlet highlighted how the gathering of cardinal electors would be unlike any in recent memory.

For the first time in Church history, 133 cardinal electors were confirmed to participate in choosing the next successor of St. Peter, surpassing the traditional limit of 120.

Though the cap had been routinely exceeded by previous pontiffs in the past, never before had a Papal Conclave actually convened with more than 120 electors casting votes.

This departure from the established norm, outlined decades ago in the Apostolic Constitution “Universi Dominici Gregis” (UDG), did not occur in a vacuum.

Rather, it followed a steady precedent set by successive popes — from Paul VI’s initial imposition of the cap in 1975, to Pope John Paul II’s repeated extensions, and most recently, Pope Francis, who oversaw ten consistories that pushed the College of Cardinals well beyond the traditional threshold.

Pope John Paul’s papacy witnessed four notable consistories where the number of electors surpassed the cap: In 1988, there were 121 electors among 160 cardinals; in 1998, 122 out of 165; by 2001, the count rose to 136 electors among 183; and in 2003, the total reached 194 cardinals, with 134 eligible to vote.

When Pope John Paul passed away in 2005, the College of Cardinals had grown to 183 members, including 117 electors, keeping just within the limit for the ensuing conclave that would elect Pope Benedict XVI.

However, the pattern continued. Pope Benedict himself twice exceeded the threshold — in 2010 and again in 2012 — with consistories involving 121 and 125 electors, respectively. By the time of his resignation in 2013, the College stood at 207 cardinals, with 117 electors.

The most significant and sustained departures from the UDG threshold, however, came under Pope Francis, who reshaped the composition of the College across ten separate consistories. From 2014 through 2024, the electors repeatedly rose above the 120 limit, peaking in December 2024 with a record 140 electors out of 253 total cardinals.

These expansions, while technically in violation of the written limit, quietly solidified a new norm — one that culminated in the groundbreaking 2025 Conclave.

In hindsight, the election of Pope Leo is not just a moment of religious transition, but the symbolic crowning of a structural evolution decades in the making.

In a formal declaration released on April 30, the College acknowledged that the current overage had been tacitly permitted by Pope Francis himself before his passing, affirming that all 133 eligible cardinals retained full voting rights under Church law.

According to Article 36 of the UDG, “A Cardinal of the Holy Roman Church who has been created and published in a consistory has, by that very fact, the right to elect the Pope.”

Additionally, the Apostolic Constitution states that any cardinal who has not “renounced the cardinalate with the consent of the Roman Pontiff” or has not been canonically deposed may participate in the papacy election.

Pope Leo’s rise to the papacy unfolded against the solemn backdrop of mourning, as the Catholic world continued to grieve the passing of his beloved predecessor.

Just weeks earlier, on April 21, 2025 — Easter Monday — the Vatican confirmed the death of Pope Francis at the age of 88, following prolonged complications from respiratory illness.

His passing occurred at 7:35 a.m. at his residence in the Casa Santa Marta, and was formally announced by Cardinal Kevin Farrell, Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church, who spoke with reverence and sorrow.

“His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of His Church. He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with fidelity, courage, and universal love, especially in favor of the poorest and most marginalized,” expressed Cardinal Farrell.

In the hours that followed, arrangements began swiftly. That same evening, a solemn rite was held to certify Pope Francis’ death and prepare his remains for veneration. The chapel at Casa Santa Marta witnessed this intimate moment, where his body was sealed in accordance with updated liturgical protocols that Pope Francis himself had approved in 2024.

These revisions, part of a renewed “Ordo Exsequiarum Romani Pontificis,” reflected his enduring wish: That his funeral rites center on pastoral humility and spiritual reflection, not temporal grandeur.

As the Vatican planned the transfer of his remains to St. Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful would be invited to pray before him, tributes poured in from around the world, honoring a pontiff whose legacy was marked by fierce advocacy for the poor and a relentless pursuit of compassion.

Though his health had declined over recent years, most notably due to lung-related complications that dated back to a surgery in his youth, Pope Francis remained active until the very end.

His death not only marked the conclusion of a transformative era in the Church, but also initiated the sacred process that would, in time, deliver the faithful their next shepherd: A man who would greet them simply with, “Peace be with all of you!”

And with those words, Pope Leo XIV stepped into the footsteps of giants — inheriting both a Church in mourning and a mission renewed.