Pope Leo XIV begins his ministry with a homily calling for “love and unity,” the two dimensions of the mission entrusted to St. Peter by Jesus Christ.
The homily, delivered in Italian, offers Leo’s vision for the church. In 2013, Pope Francis touched on values that would become hallmarks of his pontificate.
Leo said that the Church’s authority must be rooted in charity, not by “religious propaganda or by means of power.”
He urged building a united Church that welcomes all, values diversity, and rejects hatred and division, citing St. Peter’s task of “loving more.”
“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,” he said, according to an English translation provided by the Vatican.
He instead called for a world where “peace reigns.”
“This is the missionary spirit that must animate us; not closing ourselves off in our small groups, nor feeling superior to the world,” he said.
Following in the footsteps of Pope Francis, Leo also celebrated the “personal history of each person and the social and religious culture of every people.”
Echoing Leo XIII, he asked: if love prevailed, “would not every conflict cease and peace return?”