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Vatican City, May 10, 2025 / 10:30 am (CNA).

The Vatican unveiled Pope Leo XIV’s official portrait and signature Saturday, revealing the American pontiff’s embrace of traditional papal elements just two days after his historic election.

The formal portrait shows the 69-year-old pope wearing the red mozzetta (short cape), embroidered stole, white rochet, and golden pectoral cross — traditional papal vesture that present a visual contrast to the simpler style preferred by his predecessor.

Vatican Media published the portrait alongside the pope’s personal signature, which includes the notation “P.P.” — an abbreviation traditionally used in papal signatures that stands for “Pastor Pastorum” (“Shepherd of Shepherds”). Pope Francis had departed from this convention, signing simply as “Franciscus.”

This return to traditional elements accompanies Leo’s papal coat of arms.

The heraldic design features a fleur-de-lis on a blue background, symbolizing the Virgin Mary, while the right side displays a heart pieced by an arrow, resting on a book against a cream background. This is based on the traditional symbol of the Augustinian order.

The fleur-de-lis has particular significance in Catholic iconography as a symbol of purity and the Virgin Mary.

The three-petaled lily design has also been connected to the Holy Trinity. It is prominently featured in French heraldry, which may hold personal meaning for the pope, who has French ancestry through his father’s lineage.

Beneath the shield runs a scroll displaying the pope’s episcopal motto: “In illo uno unum” (“In the one Christ we are one”), a phrase taken from St. Augustine’s commentary on Psalm 127. The motto reflects Leo’s roots in the Augustinian order and his commitment to unity in the Church.

These profound presentations of papal symbols — the portrait, signature, and coat of arms — traditionally occur in the early days of a new pontificate and provide insights into the theological priorities and pastoral style the new pope intends to emphasize.

Leo XIV, born Robert Francis Prevost in Chicago, made history on May 8 after becoming the first U.S.-born pope.

Editor's note: An earlier version of this story described the heart in the coat of arms as a rendering of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The story was updated on May 12, 2025, at 11:24 a.m. ET to reflect the fact that it is a heart pierced by an arrow, a traditional symbol of the Augustinian order.

CNA Staff, May 10, 2025 / 10:00 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV’s pontifical name is a reflection of his intent to lead the Catholic Church with a “clear vision” amid a turbulent world, Italian Cardinal Fernando Filoni said Friday.

The Italian prelate, who was one of the voting members of the conclave that elected Leo to the papacy this week, told EWTN News Vice President and Editorial Director Matthew Bunson in Rome that the cardinals were “surprised by the name” chosen by the new pope, born Robert Prevost.

But “it [was] a wonderful surprise,” the cardinal said.

“I asked him why he took this name,” Filoni said. “He’s an Augustinian. ... He told me: ‘In this moment, we need a man with a clear vision of the Church.’”

Filoni pointed to what was until this week the most recent Leonine pope, Pope Leo XIII, who led the Church from 1878 to 1903 during a time of great global upheaval and change.

“[It was] a moment when society was reorganizing itself, especially the social [aspects] and the work, the organization,” Filoni said.

Leo XIII worked to articulate the social positions of the Catholic Church in the midst of those transformations, including with the encyclical Rerum Novarum, which in part addressed deplorable working conditions and asserted the rights of workers.

Leo XIII has been hailed for decades as the “social pope” for those efforts. Filoni also pointed out that Pope Leo I — who served in the fifth century — is remembered as “Leone Magno,” or “Leo the Great,” and who among his accomplishments worked to clarify doctrines related to Christ’s human and divine natures.

“I think [Leo XIV] had a lot of these aspects in his heart” in picking his name, Filoni said. “And we will see it.”

The cardinal further noted the new pope’s first address to the world, which he opened with: “Peace be with you all.”

Filoni — the grand master of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre — said the significance of this blessing cannot be missed, particularly in the context of ongoing unrest in the Holy Land.

“I am sure it will remain an essential part of his pontificate, but not in the sense of a sociological aspect or political aspect,” he said.

“If there is no peace of the Lord, men never will make peace,” he said. “They will make an agreement [and] after a while it will be completely abandoned. So he put at the center of peace the person of Jesus, the risen Lord.”

ACI Africa, May 10, 2025 / 09:00 am (CNA).

Members of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin (OFM Cap) in Nigeria are appealing for prayers following a car accident that claimed the lives of seven of their brothers and left several others injured.

In a statement shared with ACI Africa, CNA’s news partner in Africa, on May 5, the order’s leadership in Nigeria provided details of the accident that occurred on May 3 in the Ridgeway Community in Nigeria’s Enugu state.

“With deep sorrow but in the hope of the Resurrection, the Capuchin Friars of Nigerian Custody announce the death of some of our brothers in a tragic incident that took place on the evening of May 3, 2025,” said the statement, signed by Brother John-Kennedy Anyanwu, OFM Cap, custos of the order.

The statement continued: “Thirteen of our brothers departed the Ridgeway Community, Enugu state, for Obudu, Cross Rivers state, Nigeria, but unfortunately had a fatal accident. Seven of the brothers died as a result of the accident, while six of them sustained various degrees of injuries. The injured brothers have been transferred to Enugu for proper treatment.” 

In the statement, Anyanwu entrusted the souls of his deceased confreres to the “merciful love of God” and invited the people of God to “join us in praying for the happy repose of their souls.” He said funeral arrangements will be “communicated in due course.”

The deceased Capuchin friars have been identified as:

Brother Somadina Ibe-Ojuludu, OFM Cap

Brother Chinedu Nwachukwu, OFM Cap

Brother Marcel Ezenwafor, OFM Cap

Brother Gerald Nwogueze, OFM Cap

Brother Kingsley Nwosu, OFM Cap

Brother Wilfred Aleke, OFM Cap

Brother Chukwudi Obueze, OFM Cap

“Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen,” the statement concluded. 

This story was first published by ACI Africa, CNA's news partner in Africa, and has been adapted by CNA.

Vatican City, May 10, 2025 / 08:15 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV met with the College of Cardinals on Saturday morning for his first official address since his election, outlining key priorities for his pontificate in the age of artificial intelligence while emphasizing continuity with his predecessors and commitment to the Church’s social teaching.

The U.S.-born pontiff, speaking in Italian, explained his choice of papal name, noting that Pope Leo XIII “addressed the social question in the context of the first great industrial revolution” with his encyclical Rerum Novarum.

“In our own day, the Church offers to everyone the treasury of her social teaching in response to another industrial revolution and to developments in the field of artificial intelligence that pose new challenges for the defense of human dignity, justice, and labor,” Pope Leo said.

The 69-year-old pope began the meeting with a prayer, expressing his gratitude to the cardinals while acknowledging his own limitations in assuming the papacy.

“You, dear cardinals, are the closest collaborators of the pope. This has proved a great comfort to me in accepting a yoke clearly far beyond my own limited powers, as it would be for any of us,” he said.

The pope specifically thanked Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, dean of the College of Cardinals, and Cardinal Kevin Joseph Farrell, camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church, for their service during the sede vacante period.

In his address, Pope Leo emphasized his commitment to continuing the Church’s path following the Second Vatican Council, specifically highlighting Pope Francis’ apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium as providing “masterful and concrete” direction.

The pope identified several fundamental principles to guide his pontificate, “the return to the primacy of Christ in proclamation; the missionary conversion of the entire Christian community; growth in collegiality and synodality; attention to the sensus fidei, especially in its most authentic and inclusive forms, such as popular piety; loving care for the least and the rejected; courageous and trusting dialogue with the contemporary world.”

After his prepared remarks, the Holy Father engaged in a dialogue session with the cardinals, discussing “advice, suggestions, proposals, concrete things” raised during the pre-conclave meetings.

Pope Leo concluded by quoting St. Paul VI’s hope expressed at the beginning of his pontificate in 1963, praying that the Church would “pass over the whole world like a great flame of faith and love kindled in all men and women of goodwill.”

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, May 10, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV made history on Thursday when he became the first U.S.-born — and the first Augustinian — to assume the papacy, and many of his fellow Augustinians in the United States are expressing joy about the news and touting the Holy Father’s humility and kindness they encountered firsthand.

“He was Father Bob, [then] Bishop Bob, and now he’s Pope Leo XIV,” Father Barnaby Johns, the prior provincial of the Province of St. Augustine in California, told CNA while reflecting on his interactions with the new pope, formerly Cardinal Robert Prevost.

”It’s so beautiful for us to see our brother up there on that balcony,” Johns said.

Leo, born in Chicago in 1955, became a novitiate in the Order of St. Augustine at age 22 after graduating from Villanova University in 1977. He took his solemn vows in 1981 and was ordained a priest in 1982.

He spent 1985 through 1998 as an Augustinian missionary in Peru, where he was part of the leadership of the Catholic charity Caritas Peru.

Then-Father Prevost was the head of the Augustinian Province of Chicago from 1999 to 2001 and then served as the prior general of the Order of St. Augustine from 2001 through 2013. Pope Francis named him the bishop of Chiclayo, Peru, in 2015 and made him a cardinal in 2023.

Johns, who has known Leo for about 20 years, said the current pontiff is “very good at listening attentively” and has tried “to be supportive in my own journey,” calling the Holy Father “certainly very friendly.”

“He’s always been the most personable and friendly human being who would reach out to you,” Johns said.

Johns recalled meetings he had with Prevost around Easter 2024, shortly after Johns was named prior provincial of the Augustinians in California. Then a cardinal, Prevost “came up to me and asked how I was.” 

Johns said there is “something profound in his being down to earth,” noting the “humility” in a cardinal taking the initiative to check up on his well-being.

At the time, Johns, who is a native to the United Kingdom, was “struggling in [his] vocation” due to his assignment in California, outside of his home country. He said Prevost was “very easy to talk to and enjoyable company” and that “he gave me time, he listened to me, [and] he gave me good advice.”

“To me it felt that the personal interaction was something that he wants to give to those that he encounters,” Johns said, adding: “He’ll bring that touch to the Church.”

He said his fellow Augustinians in his province felt the selection of Prevost was “overwhelming and [we were] overjoyed,” adding that it “means so much on such a deep personal level.”

Father James Halstead, a member of the Augustinian Province of Our Mother of Good Counsel in Chicago, would often interact with Prevost in social and business situations. He first met the Holy Father before he had joined the novitiate, when Prevost was a senior in high school.

Halstead told CNA that after Prevost had entered the order, the young man would often interact with Halstead’s family, and Halstead recalled his mother would say: “They’re all nice guys, but that Bob Prevost is especially calm and respectful and kind.”

“My mother really liked him,” Halstead said. “My sisters liked him more than they liked me.”

He tearfully spoke about Prevost reaching out to him after Halstead was diagnosed with ALS. He said he had not reached out to Prevost about the diagnosis but that Prevost had found out and “sent a very nice email” providing “words of encouragement” and a “promise of prayer.”

“I just want to say that you are very much in my thoughts and prayers,” the now-pope said, according to a copy of the email provided by Halstead. “May you find the strength and courage to carry this cross.”

Halstead noted that there is “great joy and pride” among fellow Augustinians to whom he has spoken, adding that there is “great hope for Bob Prevost, our brother, and [we are] really proud of him and, oh, we’re just delighted.”

An Augustinian papacy

Unlike many orders, the Order of St. Augustine does not have a direct lineage to its patron but was rather established in 1244 by Pope Innocent IV, more than 800 years after Augustine’s death. 

Johns told CNA that the order follows the Rule of St. Augustine and its members seek to mirror his spirituality. He noted that it was “founded to be at the service of the Church by the pope.”

“We are a Christian community living together who are wanting to seek to be brothers and have a sense of fraternity that is contrary to any form of individualism, which is a challenge in today’s society,” Johns added.

Johns noted that in his first speech, Leo said he was a son of Augustine, and Johns referenced the pontiff’s line that paraphrased Augustine: “With you, I am a Christian, and for you, I am a bishop.”

“[His papacy] will have the Augustinian heart at the center of everything,” Johns said, adding that those words demonstrate “that profound sense of fraternity that I think Pope Leo will bring to his papacy.”

Amid some disagreements within the Church on topics such as blessings for same-sex couples and restrictions on the Traditional Latin Mass, Johns expects Leo can take “a reconciliatory [approach] as a leader and a brother,” which will “transcend some of these political labels.”

“[Leo will] speak more to the heart and from the heart and that message will — I pray — resonate with all of the divisions … that seem to be occurring within our world, and that’s not an easy [task],” Johns added.

Halstead said there are three primary elements of the Augustinian way of life, which he expects Leo to carry into the papacy: a deep spirituality, community life, and service to the poor and the marginalized. He said Augustinian spirituality teaches one how to cultivate his or her interior life, saying one must “be introspective so you can know yourself.”

“It starts when you enter the novitiate and hopefully it continues until you breathe your last,” Halstead added. 

“He’ll really be able to think deeply and be encouraged to think deeply about the issues that are before him,” he said.

Halstead also referenced some of the divisions within the Church on issues related to same-sex blessings, Communion for the divorced and remarried, and the Latin Mass, saying Leo will need “to deal with those, and not just dialogue about those things, but you’ve got to make a decision.”

“With what he has to handle, I shall pray for him,” Halstead said but expressed confidence in the leadership of the Holy Father.

“Can he deal with them? Yes,” he said. “Is it going to be very difficult? Yes.”

During his first visit outside the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV makes a stop at the Basilica of St. Mary Major to pray to the icon of Mary Salus Populi Romani and at the tomb of the late Pope Francis.

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Rome Newsroom, May 10, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

Cardinal François-Xavier Bustillo described Pope Leo XIV as a “solid, discreet, and good worker” and expressed confidence that the new pontiff will continue to be “bold” in addressing the needs of today’s world in comments made shortly after the May 8 conclave that elected Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost as the Church’s 267th pope.

Speaking with ACI Stampa, CNA’s Italian-language news partner, on the streets of Rome, the bishop of Ajaccio, Corsica — who participated as a cardinal elector — said the College of Cardinals entered the conclave with openness to the Holy Spirit, not political calculation.

“It’s precisely this: We weren’t thinking at all about strategies or political tactics,” Bustillo said.

“We were trusting and wanted not our own good, not the good of us cardinals, but wanted the good of the people of God, and I think we succeeded in giving a good pope to the Church — and this was our objective.”

The cardinal highlighted the significance of the date of Leo’s election. May 8 is marked across much of Europe as Victory in Europe Day, commemorating the end of World War II.

“Our world needs peace — there’s too much violence in our lives, in our families, everywhere, even in international geopolitics — and so there’s a need for peace,” he said. “The pope was right to recall the meaning of peace, and the mission of the Church is to foster peace.”

When asked about similarities between Leo XIV and his predecessor, Pope Francis, Bustillo pointed to their shared pastoral outlook.

“He reminds me of Pope Francis in his contact with people, in his vision of the world, and in his understanding of the Church’s response to the world,” he said. “That’s what’s important.”

Bustillo emphasized that the conclave, which concluded in under 24 hours, was marked by spiritual clarity and fraternal unity.

“He is the pope the Holy Spirit has given us — in less than 24 hours we elected the pope, and there were neither tactics nor strategies. There was freedom and trust,” he said.

Reflecting on the Church’s challenges, Bustillo voiced hope that Leo XIV would offer meaningful guidance for a restless world.

“Faith in a world that is very materialistic, hedonistic — we need to find a spirituality, a soul, in this world that functions but does not live,” he said.

This story was first published by ACI Stampa, CNA’s Italian-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

Pope Leo XIV pays a visit to the Shrine of the Mother of Good Counsel in Genazzano, just outside Rome, saying he "wanted so much to come here in these first days of the new Ministry ... that the Church has entrusted to me.’

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Vatican City, May 10, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

The election of Leo XIV was enthusiastically received by Caritas Internationalis, which expressed its support for the new pontiff and reaffirmed its readiness to walk alongside the new pope “in a spirit of service and synodality,” recognizing his election as a sign of both continuity and renewal in the ecclesial commitment to the most vulnerable.

“We offer our heartfelt prayers at the beginning of his sacred ministry and we pledge to follow and support him in a spirit of service and synodality, so that in guiding the Church, he may be a visible foundation of unity in faith and communion in charity, ‘building bridges through dialogue’ as we build a synodal Church, walking together, for greater peace and charity, close to those who suffer,” the Catholic organization said in a statement.

Caritas Internationalis also emphasized the significance of the new pope choosing to be called Leo just a few days before the 134th anniversary of Leo XIII’s encyclical Rerum Novarum, which gave rise to the Church’s social teaching.

“The choice of the name Leo is deeply significant as we approach the 134th anniversary of Leo XIII’s encyclical Rerum Novarum on May 17, a clear commitment to the social apostolate of the Church and Catholic social teaching,” the statement said.

Caritas Internationalis also stated that its mission is closely linked to charity as an essential expression of the Church’s inner being: “‘As the service of charity is a constitutive element of the Church’s mission and an indispensable expression of her very being’ (Intima Ecclesiae Natura), this new chapter invites us to renew our mission — to witness the love of Christ through concrete acts of compassion, justice, and hope for the world’s most vulnerable, with the dignity of every person at the center, hearing ‘both to the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor’ (Laudato Si’, 49).”

The president of Caritas Internationalis, Cardinal Tarcisio Isao Kikuchi, emphasized that the confederation is not just an aid agency but “a manifestation of God’s love in action.”

Along the same lines, the organization’s secretary-general, Alistair Dutton, celebrated the beginning of Leo XIV’s pontificate: “This is an exciting moment for the Church and the world. Pope Leo’s immediate identification with issues of peace, solidarity, dialogue, and charity, and particularly his commitment to people who suffer, is an early indication to his commitment to a missionary Church for the poor and social justice.”

The new pontiff, formerly Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, has a long background in pastoral and charitable work. Born in Chicago, he served as bishop of Chiclayo, Peru, and prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops. From 2022 to 2024, he also served on the board of directors of Caritas Peru.

Sean Callahan, president of Catholic Relief Services (CRS) — a member of Caritas Internationalis — also expressed his joy at the election: “We are overjoyed by the election of Pope Leo XIV and look forward to his leadership and guidance. As the first pope born in the United States, this is a momentous occasion for American Catholics and, as the humanitarian organization for the U.S. Church, CRS is proud to mark his historic election.”

Rooted in the Gospel and Catholic social teaching, Caritas Internationalis is a global confederation present in more than 200 countries.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

CNA Staff, May 10, 2025 / 05:00 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV, elected on Thursday, is the first pope from the Order of St. Augustine (OSA), also known as the Augustinians, an ancient religious order with thousands of members worldwide. 

The Order of St. Augustine first came together nearly 800 years ago, first composed of a union of a number of religious communities that were using the Rule of St. Augustine, a document written by the saint in the fourth century that continues to be highly influential among Catholic orders today. 

St. Augustine of Hippo (354–430)

St. Augustine was an early Catholic bishop, theologian, and doctor of the Church whose ideas and writings shaped Catholic doctrine for over a millennium. 

As documented in his autobiographical work, the “Confessions,” Augustine was brought up Christian but later abandoned the faith for a life of worldly pleasure and revelry, while at the same time becoming an accomplished philosopher and rhetorician. 

After years following the Manichaean heresy (which posits that the world is in a constant struggle between dark and light), Augustine met St. Ambrose, a bishop and fellow doctor of the Church, who inspired Augustine through his preaching to seek the truth in the Christian faith he had rejected. Augustine returned to his Catholic faith, fulfilling the many years of fervent prayer of his mother, St. Monica. 

After returning to Africa, on a visit to Hippo, Augustine was proclaimed priest and then bishop against his will. He later accepted it as the will of God and spent the rest of his life as the pastor of the North African town, where he spent much time refuting the writings of heretics. 

Augustine’s written works, including the “Confessions” and “The City of God,” remain classics of Christian writing and philosophy. 

The order forms

As bishop — so reports the Catholic Encyclopedia — Augustine led a monastic community life with his clergy; vows were not obligatory, but the possession of private property was prohibited.

Many sought to copy his way of life, and Augustine wrote instructions during his lifetime to guide monastic communities, such as “De opere monachorum” (“On the Work of Monks”). The Lateran Synod in 1059 approved Augustine’s “rule” for canons — that is, clerics wanting to follow Augustine’s way of life — and the rule was steadily adopted by many communities, especially in Italy. 

The rule emphasizes love for God and neighbor as the primary commandment, stressing the importance of communal living and sharing, and the prioritization of humility over earthly status. 

Pope Innocent IV in 1244 later united all the disparate communities in Italy using the rule, thus forming the Hermits of St. Augustine, a mendicant order (meaning the friars take a vow of poverty and rely on the support of the faithful). A later pope, Alexander IV, further unified a number of other monasteries and communities in 1256 and also freed the order from the jurisdiction of the bishops. 

Within a century of the Grand Union, as the 1256 consolidation was known, there were already 8,000 friars established in many countries. They became involved in a variety of works as pastors, preachers, educators, scholars, theologians, and missionaries.

As prolific missionaries, the Augustinians ventured throughout Europe, as well as to North and South America, Africa, Japan, Persia, India, and China. The Augustinians have been present in Peru — where Leo XIV spent over two decades of his ministry — since 1551. 

In the United States today, there are three regional provinces of Augustinians: one based in Philadelphia, one in Chicago, and one in San Diego. The Philadelphia province was the first, founded after Bishop John Carroll of Baltimore invited Augustinians to come over from Ireland in the 1790s. 

The Order of Saint Augustine today includes some 2,800 Augustinians in 47 countries throughout the world, according to the order. 

Leo XIV is the first pope elected who is a member of the Order of St. Augustine. Five popes who came before him were canons regular — priests who followed St. Augustine’s rule — and one, Gregory VIII, was a member of the Norbertine order, which also follows St. Augustine’s rule.

There have, however, been several Augustinians canonized as saints, including St. Nicholas of Tolentino and St. Thomas of Villanova. 

An Augustinian pope

The future Pope Leo XIV, Robert Prevost, attended an Augustinian seminary high school near Holland, Michigan, which is now an event venue. He later earned a bachelor of science degree in mathematics from Villanova University, which is sponsored by the Augustinians and located in Pennsylvania.

He made his solemn vows as an Augustinian in 1981 and was ordained to the priesthood in June 1982 after studying theology at the Catholic Theological Union of Chicago. After being ordained, he earned a doctorate in canon law from Rome’s Pontifical College of St. Thomas Aquinas (also known as the Angelicum) in 1987.

Prevost returned to Chicago for a short time in 1987, serving as pastor for vocations and director of missions for the Midwest Augustinians (Province of Our Mother of Good Counsel). He was then sent to Peru, where he served the Augustinians in various capacities including as a regional ecclesiastical judge and teacher of canon law in the diocesan seminary for Trujillo, Peru, for 10 years.

After being elected the head of the Augustinian Province of Chicago, Prevost returned to the U.S. in 1999. He was elected prior general of the Augustinians in 2001 and then reelected in 2007, serving as head of the order until 2013.