Leone XIV's first homily was a harmonious continuity with the tradition of the Church

The mission is urgent, because the lack of faith often brings with it dramas such as the loss of the meaning of life, The oblivion of mercy, the violation of the dignity of the person in its most dramatic forms, the family crisis and many other wounds of which our society suffers and not a little. This is the world that is entrusted to us […]

- ecclesial topicality -

Author
Teodoro Beccia

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It may appear presumptuous Stop the homily of the Supreme Pontiff Leone XIV, pronounced in its first real public appearance, The Holy Mass pro ecclesia celebrated with the cardinals who participated in the conclave of its election.

The Supreme Pontiff Leone XIV at his first view to the central loggia of the Papal Arcibasilica of San Pietro

Or it could simply be beautiful enhance this first act of the new bishop of Rome, imagining, without going too far from the truth, that these words that he pronounced to comment on the Gospel actually sorted by his heart, are his own, meditated in the short space of time obtained between the impact of the election, the emotion of the presentation to the public and the world and this first public commitment. To be, as we'll see, they seem like a program for the Church that started to preside, The figure within which he will want to move and even in what way he feels that he is involved.

Referring to a personal reading of the beautiful papal homily (WHO), I just want to underline three aspects.

The first and most important is the reference to Christ. It might seem redundant to underline it: of whom a pontiff should speak if not of Jesus? But the fact that he immediately mentioned, At the first appearing from the central loggia of the Basilica of San Pietro and now here in his first homily, it is significant. He said that Pietro's words remember in the Gospel «You are the Christ, the Son of the living God " (Mt 16,16) they express "in summary the heritage that for two thousand years the Church, through the apostolic succession, keep, deepens and transmits. Jesus is Christ, the Son of the living God, that is, the only savior and the detector of the father's face ". Leo XIV is placed, like this, in continuity with the tradition of the Church, Just as his recent predecessors did. John Paul II with his: "Open, indeed, open the door and to Christ "; Professor in his first homily. Pope Benedetto who has scaled the mystery of the Lord with his intelligence and taught the Church to recognize him and Pope Francis who helped us to see his face in all, especially the poorest. And of Christ Pope Leone traces the identikit:

«To make yourself close and accessible to men, He revealed himself to us in the confident eyes of a child, in the lively mind of a young man, in the mature features of a man (The joy and hope, 22), until it appears to his, After the resurrection, with his glorious body. Thus showed us a model of holy humanity that we can all imitate, together with the promise of an eternal fate that instead exceeds every limit and capacity ".

The second aspect that I want to underline the papal homily is precisely the reference to holiness. He sees it as a gift, but also as a path of personal and community transformation. Holiness that exceeds merits and limits because it anticipates our birth (cf.. Gives 1,5) And thanks to the baptismal rebirth he leads us and makes us participate in the mission of Christ. A task that involves the Pope firsthand and then the whole Church: «City placed on the mountain (cf. AP 21,10), ark of salvation that navigates through the waves of history, Lighthouse that illuminates the nights of the world. And this not so much thanks to the magnificence of its structures or for the grandeur of its buildings ..., as for the holiness of its members, of that "people that God has purchased because they proclaim me the admirable works of him, who called you from the darkness to its wonderful light " (1PT 2,9).

In the end, A third reason I like to pin from the homily of the Holy Father: the comparison with the world, including the ecclesial one of believers. The Pope says:

“It's not a trivial question, indeed it concerns an important aspect of our ministry: the reality in which we live, with its limits and potentiality, his questions and his beliefs ".

As happened in the days of the Lord The answers to his question, «People, Who says he is the son of man?», they appeared incomplete and sticks, So even today the world often misunderstands the Christian message due to excess of sufficiency or overhanging. but yet, The Pope says:

«Precisely for this ... the mission is urgent, because the lack of faith often brings with it dramas such as the loss of the meaning of life, The oblivion of mercy, the violation of the dignity of the person in its most dramatic forms, the family crisis and many other wounds of which our society suffers and not a little. This is the world that is entrusted to us, in which, as Pope Francis taught us many times, We are called to witness the joyful faith in Jesus Salvatore. Therefore, for us, too, It is essential to repeat: "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God " (Mt 16,16).

As we have read, he recalls the theme of the mission, Which he had done the night before, overlooking the main loggia of the Vatican Basilica (WHO).

But the mission also turns to believers, since they can run the risk of adapting the Gospel and the image of Christ to their personal visions. These are the words of the pontiff: «Even today there is no shortage of the contexts in which Jesus, although appreciated as a man, it is reduced only to a kind of charismatic leader or superman, and this not only among non -believers, but also among many baptized, who end up living thus, at this level, In factual atheism ".

In the last lines of the homily The Holy Father recalls the importance of the personal relationship with Christ, In the commitment of a daily path of conversion and recalls the whole Church to live the belonging to the Lord bringing everyone to everyone's good news.

Finally, the Holy Father speaks of himself. It does so by citing the letter to the Romans of the apostolic father Ignazio of Antiochia, To define his task and role of bishop of the Church who is in Rome, called to preside over the universal Church in charity. And always reporting the words of Sant’Ignazio:

«Then I will really be a disciple of Jesus Christ, When the world does not see my body " (Letter to the Romans, IV, 1).

Concludes his homiletic intervention like this:

"It referred to being devoured by the belves in the circus - and so it happened -, But his words recall in a more general sense an indispensable commitment for anyone in the Church exercises a ministry of authority: disappear because Christ remains, get small for him to be known and glorified (cf. GV 3,30), spend all the way because nobody is missing the opportunity to know and love him. God gives me this grace, today and forever, With the help of the tender intercession of Mary Mother of the Church ".

The homily ends as it started, with reference to Christ. It is worth remembering the citations used by Pope Leo in this liturgical intervention. The letter of Sant’Ignazio of Antioch to the Romans, above, nine references to songs from the New Testament and only one of the old man. Then there are two quotes from the Council, taken from the two documents that speak of the Church: LA LAMP OF GENTIAL AND HOPE AND HOPE.

An intervention, it was said at the beginning, which would seem programmatic, therefore leaving to hope for a continuation that could be profitable for the Church. I believe that the pope does not only expect the wait, but also the support of prayer and the effective collaboration of believers.

Velletri of Rome, 11 May 2025

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