Pope Leo XIV’s first year as pontiff was marked by significant milestones, according to a May 9 statement. His inaugural Mass took place on May 18, 2025, in St. Peter’s Square before approximately 150,000 attendees. During the Mass, Pope Leo emphasized unity within the Church and said he wished to be “the servant of your faith and your joy.”
The pope’s actions over the past year have had a broad impact on Catholics worldwide. He has led international trips, canonized new saints, addressed youth gatherings, and issued an apostolic letter focused on humility and the role of the poor.
Shortly after his election on May 8, Pope Leo visited several religious sites including the tomb of Pope Francis at St. Mary Major Basilica in Rome where he left a white rose. His outreach to young people included addressing about one million during the Jubilee of Youth in Rome and participating in a live conversation with American teenagers at the National Catholic Youth Conference.
Canonizations were also part of his first-year activities; on Sept. 7, he declared Pier Giorgio Frassati and Carlo Acutis saints during a ceremony attended by around 70,000 people in St. Peter’s Square. In his homily that day he said: “Today we look to St. Pier Giorgio Frassati and St. Carlo Acutis: a young man from the early 20th century and a teenager from our own day… both in love with Jesus.”
Pope Leo released his first apostolic letter titled Dilexi Te on Oct. 9 which stated: “The poor can act as silent teachers for us… making us conscious of our presumption.” The document drew from teachings initiated under Pope Francis.
His travels included visits to Turkey and Lebanon where he participated in ecumenical meetings such as commemorating the Council of Nicaea’s anniversary alongside Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I.
In January an extraordinary consistory was held at which cardinals discussed topics like synodality behind closed doors; “I am here to listen,” Pope Leo said during its opening address.
Holy Week saw him preside over all liturgies for Easter—something not done fully by recent popes due to health reasons—and carry out traditional rites including leading Stations of the Cross at Rome’s Colosseum.
From April 13–23 this year he traveled across four African countries meeting local communities despite difficult conditions; while visiting inmates at Bata penitentiary in Equatorial Guinea he told them “no one is excluded from God’s love.”
Throughout speeches over this period Pope Leo repeatedly called for peace saying world leaders should foster “a culture of peace” instead of resorting to violence or nuclear threats: dialogue must be prioritized as “the strongest and most enduring path to peace.”
