Mindful that Pope Francis had often used the traditional pre-Christmas address to the Roman Curia to deliver some hard messages, Vatican officials had waited in expectation to see what Pope Leo would say.
Gerard O’Connell
Gerard O’Connell is America’s senior Vatican correspondent and author of The Election of Pope Francis: An Inside Story of the Conclave That Changed History. He has been covering the Vatican since 1985.
Posted inVatican Dispatch
Pope Leo appoints new archbishop of Westminster, marking the end of an era in England
Pope Leo XIV has appointed Bishop Richard Moth of Arundel and Brighton, who was born in Zambia and came to the United Kingdom at the age of 2, as the 12th archbishop of Westminster and leader of the Catholic Church of England and Wales.
Posted inVatican Dispatch
Pope Leo picks Chicago-born Ronald Hicks to follow Dolan in New York
In naming Bishop Hicks for this high-profile post, Pope Leo chose a man whom he already knew; they met in 2024 when the then-Cardinal Robert Prevost gave a talk at a parish in the Joliet diocese.
Posted inVatican Dispatch
UPDATED: Pope Leo meets Ukraine’s Zelensky as European leaders discuss controversial U.S. peace plan
Pope Leo and President Volodymyr Zelensky met at a particularly delicate moment in the international effort to arrive at a peace plan that can be accepted by both Ukraine and Russia.
Posted inVatican Dispatch
Vatican report says no to ordaining women deacons—for now
“The purely historical perspective does not allow us to arrive at any definitive certainty,” a Vatican report concluded. “In the final analysis, the question must be decided on the doctrinal level.”
Posted inVatican Dispatch
Pope Leo on what he was thinking inside the conclave
“I resigned myself when I saw the way things were going…. I took a deep breath, [and] I said: ‘Here we go, Lord. You are in charge; you lead the way.’”
Posted inVatican Dispatch
Pope Leo meets survivors of Beirut port explosion and calls for peace as he concludes Lebanon visit
Pope Leo concluded his visit to Lebanon with a heartfelt appeal at the airport before departing for Rome on Dec. 2: “May the attacks and hostilities cease. We must recognize that armed struggle brings no benefit. While weapons are lethal, negotiation, mediation and dialogue are constructive. Let us all choose peace as a way, not just as a goal!”
Posted inVatican Dispatch
Pope Leo preaches peace as he visits young people and religious sites in Lebanon
“Peace! Peace!” That is the cry one hears everywhere Pope Leo goes on his second day in Lebanon.
Posted inVatican Dispatch
Pope Leo makes a strong pitch for peace in war-threatened Lebanon
When Pope Leo arrived in Beirut on Sunday afternoon, Nov. 30, on the second stage of his first foreign trip, his main aim was to promote peace and do what he could to prevent a year-long, unstable cease-fire between Israel and Lebanon from collapsing into a new war.
Posted inVatican Dispatch
Pope Leo addresses Gaza, Ukraine and hopes for Christian unity in first plane press conference
Pope Leo held an informal press conference today on his flight from Istanbul to Beirut, addressing his hopes for greater ecumenical cooperation and for peace in Gaza and Ukraine.