As we set out this morning for Pope Leo XIV’s first Sunday address and prayer in St. Peter’s Square, we stopped by a shop near us called Vatican Emporium to purchase rosaries for family, friends and colleagues to take with us into the square for Leo’s blessing.
Inside the shop, we discovered that the rosary industrial complex had already produced Leo XIV rosaries, which we were delighted to snap up. But we found ourselves in line behind Dr. Juanita Mora of Chicago, who had come to Rome after Leo’s election to celebrate a son of Chicago becoming the successor of Peter. She had even brought with her a flag of the city of Chicago.
She was also buying a literal suitcase full of rosaries to take home for the celebration of her father’s 80th birthday. Between her purchases and ours, we basically cleaned Vatican Emporium out of their stock of Leo XIV rosaries.
We also shared with her our excitement about our new Holy Father and a number of different connections we had to Chicago, where Zac Davis and I had studied (Go Ramblers). She asked me to bless the rosaries for her father’s party, and then generously paid for the set of rosaries we were taking back to give to the rest of the America staff at home.
Once in the square and atop the colonnade, we spent about an hour chatting with other journalists and waiting for the Regina Caeli to begin. Pope Leo greeted the massive, joyful crowd with “Buona Domenica” (“Happy Sunday”). He also encouraged prayer for vocations on this Good Shepherd Sunday and the World Day of Prayer for Vocations. Then he led us all in chanting the Regina Caeli. Afterward, Leo made an ardent prayer for peace, referencing Pope Francis’ description of a third world war being fought piecemeal. Quoting Francis directly, he called out with deep emotion audible in his voice, “Never again war!”
At first glance, it would seem that buying rosaries and listening to the pope cry out passionately against war have little to do with each other. But the community that we find in shared joy—the community our America team found so quickly and so easily with Dr. Mora around rosaries and a Chicago flag this morning—is part of the path that we must hope will lead us out of conflict and into reconciliation with each other, even and especially in places suffering under war and violence.
Three days ago, Leo greeted the world with “Peace be with you,” the greeting of the Risen Christ that is, as he said so beautifully, “a disarmed peace and a disarming peace.” It seems clear that he is committed to offering a consistent and urgent witness to peace.
May all of us, filled with joy at God’s care for the church in the ministry of our new pope, also let that joy call and mission us to seek peace and reconciliation.
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This will be the final entry in our “Conclave Diary” series of emails—but we will of course continue covering the first days of Pope Leo XIV’s papacy in the print and web pages of America, and in our podcasts “Inside the Vatican” and “Jesuitical” as well as on YouTube. We are grateful for your allowing us to accompany you through these past weeks, and we look forward, along with you, to seeing what God will do through Leo’s ministry.
