Pope Leo XIV celebrated his first Mass at the Basilica of St. John Lateran on May 25
ROME — Celebrating his first Mass in Rome’s diocesan cathedral, Pope Leo XIV said communion is built primarily “on our knees,” through prayer and a constant commitment to conversion.
He reaffirmed Pope Francis’ dedication to listening, first and foremost to the Holy Spirit, as it then leads to listening to and understanding others “as our brothers and sisters.”
The pope’s remarks came during his homily at Mass at the Basilica of St. John Lateran, where he took possession of the cathedral as the bishop of Rome May 25.
At the start of the liturgy, Cardinal Baldassare Reina, papal vicar for Rome, read a profession of obedience to the pope on behalf of the diocese, and then the pope sat on the raised marble chair in the basilica’s apse, taking formal possession of the “cathedra” (chair) of the bishop of Rome. He then received representatives of his flock, including clergy and laypeople.
The pope dedicated his homily to the Mass readings, putting special emphasis on the importance of listening.
The first reading from the Acts of the Apostles (15:1-2, 22-29) described Paul and Barnabas recognizing the authority of the Jerusalem Church and going there to settle the question of whether Gentiles could embrace a form of Christianity that did not include observing every aspect of Mosaic law.
“This was no easy matter; it called for much patience and mutual listening,” and Peter and the apostles in Jerusalem were prepared to listen, Pope Leo said.
That dialogue “led to the right decision,” he said, because they listened to God’s voice.
“In this way, they remind us that communion is built primarily ‘on our knees,’ through prayer and constant commitment to conversion. For only in this way can each of us hear within the voice of the Spirit crying out: ‘Abba! Father!’ and then, as a result, listen to and understand others as our brothers and sisters,” he said.
“Naturally, the more we let ourselves be convinced and transformed by the Gospel — allowing the power of the Spirit to purify our heart, to make our words straightforward, our desires honest and clear, and our actions generous — the more capable we are of proclaiming its message,” the pope said.
In fact, he said, “the Gospel assures us that we are not alone in making our decisions in life. The Spirit sustains us and shows us the way to follow, ‘teaching’ us and ‘reminding’ us of all that Jesus said.”
“Pope Francis frequently encouraged us to reflect on the maternal dimension of the Church and her defining qualities of tenderness, self-sacrifice and the capacity to listen,” he said.
“We hope that those qualities will be increasingly present in the people of God everywhere, including here, in our great diocesan family: in the faithful, in pastors and, first of all, in myself,” Pope Leo said.
He encouraged the Diocese of Rome’s “process of listening” to the world and its communities to respond to current challenges and “to propose sage and prophetic initiatives of evangelization and charity.”
Following the Mass, the pope appeared at the balcony of the basilica, where he briefly addressed a large crowd of people, wishing them as he did the afternoon of his election May 8, “Peace be with you.”
The pope then got in an open popemobile and headed to the patriarchal Basilica of St. Mary Major where he venerated the “Salus Populi Romani,” (“Salvation of the Roman People”), a Marian icon in a side chapel, and visited the tomb of Pope Francis.
