One year ago today, on May 8, 2025, white smoke rose from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel, signaling that the College of Cardinals had elected the 267th Pope of the Catholic Church: American Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, who took the name Leo XIV. In the twelve months since, his pontificate has been marked by a consistent call for unity in the Church, peace among nations, and renewed concern for the marginalized.
A clear vision of these priorities appeared in Pope Leo XIV’s homily during the Mass of Inauguration of the Petrine Ministry on May 18, 2025: “Brothers and sisters, I would like that our first great desire be for a united Church, a sign of unity and communion, which becomes a leaven for a reconciled world. In this our time, we still see too much discord, too many wounds caused by hatred, violence, prejudice, the fear of difference, and an economic paradigm that exploits the Earth’s resources and marginalizes the poorest. For our part, we want to be a small leaven of unity, communion and fraternity within the world. We want to say to the world, with humility and joy: Look to Christ! Come closer to him! Welcome his word that enlightens and consoles! Listen to his offer of love and become his one family: in the one Christ, we are one.”
One of the defining themes of his pontificate has been his repeated appeals for peace, particularly concerning conflicts in Ukraine, Africa, and the Middle East. Since the beginning of his pontificate, Pope Leo XIV has publicly called for peace more than 400 times. One of his earliest appeals came just four days after his election, during an address to representatives of the media: “Peace begins with each one of us: in the way we look at others, listen to others and speak about others. In this sense, the way we communicate is of fundamental importance: we must say ‘no’ to the war of words and images, we must reject the paradigm of war.”
During his first year in office, the pope also made several international trips, including an apostolic pilgrimage to Turkey for the 1,700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea. Between May 8, 2025, and May 8, 2026, the Holy Father visited Turkey, Lebanon, Monaco, Algeria, Cameroon, Angola, and Equatorial Guinea. He is scheduled to make a pastoral visit to Spain next month and is expected to participate in World Youth Day 2027 in South Korea.
Click here to watch a video featuring some of Pope Leo’s best moments during his first year in office.