On the day of his election, Pope Leo XIV received the gift of a silver pectoral cross containing the relics of Pope St. Leo the Great, as well as three Augustinian bishops: St. Augustine, St. Thomas of Villanova, and Blessed Anselmo Polanco, a Spanish bishop martyred in the country’s civil …

The celebration marking the official beginning of Pope Leo XIV’s pontificate on May 18 is a solemn liturgy. The rite highlights the bond with the Apostle Peter and his martyrdom, which nurtured the nascent Church of Rome, and the significance of the “Petrine” episcopal insignia conferred upon the Pope: the …

Father Alejandro Moral, a long-time friend of the newly elected Pope, tells Vatican News that the new Pope “immediately spoke of justice and peace and of bridges between all, of synodality’” By Tiziana Campisi “We are very happy. I hope it’s a gift [for we Augustinians], really, because it’s a …

From the voting of cardinal electors to the burning of ballots in a cast-iron stove dating back to 1939, here’s a look at what happens inside the Sistine Chapel during a papal election. By Tiziana Campisi “Eligo in Summum Pontificem” (“I elect as Supreme Pontiff”.) These are the words printed …