VATICAN CITY – In his first Mass as the newly elected pontiff, Pope Leo XIV today articulated a powerful vision for the Catholic Church, calling it “a beacon to illuminate the dark nights of this world.” Presiding over the solemn liturgy in the Sistine Chapel, the very space where his historic election unfolded just yesterday, the first American Pope laid out a message of hope, unity, and a renewed commitment to missionary outreach in an increasingly secular age.
Dressed in simple white and gold vestments, the former Cardinal Robert Prevost, Archbishop of Chicago, addressed the College of Cardinals who had elected him, as well as a global audience watching via broadcast. He began his homily with a few heartfelt words in English before transitioning to fluent Italian, expressing profound humility in accepting the mantle of leadership.
“God has called me by your election to succeed the prince of the apostles, and has entrusted this treasure to me,” Pope Leo XIV stated, his voice resonating with conviction. Drawing from the day’s scripture readings, he emphasized the Church’s fundamental role: “For we are the people whom God has chosen as his own, so that we may declare the wonderful deeds of him who called us out of darkness into his marvellous light.”
The 69-year-old pontiff acknowledged the challenges facing the Church in a world where faith is often marginalized or considered “absurd,” a preserve of “the weak and unintelligent.” He pointed to the dominance of “technology, money, success, power, or pleasure” as alternative securities that often lead to a “lack of faith” tragically accompanied by “the loss of meaning in life, the neglect of mercy, appalling violations of human dignity, the crisis of the family and so many other wounds that afflict our society.”
It is precisely in these “dark nights,” Pope Leo XIV asserted, that the Church’s missionary outreach is “desperately needed.” He envisioned a Church that acts as “an ark of salvation sailing through the waters of history and a beacon that illuminates the dark nights of this world” – not through grand structures, but through the “holiness of her members.”
In an unscripted moment before his homily, Pope Leo XIV also called for unity among the cardinals, speaking in his American-accented English: “I know I can rely on each and every one of you to walk with me as we continue, as a church, as a community of friends of Jesus, as believers to announce the Good News.”
His words echoed themes from his first address to the crowds in St. Peter’s Square on Thursday evening, where he spoke of a “missionary” Church that “builds bridges, which holds dialogues, which is always open,” and his predecessor Pope Francis’s vision of a synodal Church characterized by shared leadership and inclusivity.
The swift election of Pope Leo XIV after a relatively short conclave has been met with a mixture of surprise and hope. His background as a missionary in Peru for two decades is seen as a significant influence on his perspective, suggesting a potential focus on the global south and the challenges of evangelization in diverse cultural contexts.
The coming days will see Pope Leo XIV further define his pontificate, with his Sunday midday Regina Coeli prayer and a Monday press conference eagerly awaited for further insights into his vision for the Church and the direction he intends to lead its 1.4 billion faithful. For now, his first Mass has offered a powerful message of hope and a clear articulation of the Church’s enduring mission in a world grappling with uncertainty.