Pope Leo XIV made his first formal address to the College of Cardinals on Saturday, May 10. His message focused on the need to pay close attention to the digital revolution.
Reflecting on the words of his previous namesake, Leo XIII, who served as pope from 1878 to 1903 and oversaw the first industrial revolution, “Today, the Church offers to all her treasure of social teaching in response to another industrial revolution and the developments of artificial intelligence.”
The pope paid tribute to his direct predecessor, remembering Pope Francis’ simplicity and his radical dedication to service. “Let us treasure this precious legacy and resume our journey,” he said, “animated by the same hope that comes from faith.”
For his first trip outside the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV chose to visit the Shrine of the Mother of Good Counsel in Genazzano. The shrine is home to an ancient image of the Virgin Mary and was much loved by Pope Leo XIII.
On the way back to the Vatican, Pope Leo stopped at St. Mary Major, where he paused in prayer before the tomb of Pope Francis and the icon of the Virgin Mary, the Holy See Press Office reported.
The last time Pope Leo XIV had prayed at Francis’ tomb was when, under his former identity as Cardinal Robert Prevost, he joined members of the College of Cardinals and went to the papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major after it had just been open to the public.
Following several secretive gatherings among 133 cardinals following the death of Pope Francis, Pope Leo XIV was named on Thursday, May 8.
The 69-year-old was born in Chicago and became a missionary, spending much of his career in Peru as a minister. He was also the prefect of the Vatican’s Dicastery of Bishops starting in 2023 under Pope Francis. He was then promoted to cardinal-bishop in February by the former pope.
The selection of Prevost, a citizen from a world “superpower,” is a rare one, as the Vatican has largely gone the other direction in its selection of new popes.
Prevost’s familial roots trace back to Italian, French and Spanish ancestors.
