Vatican City (Vatican), May 18 (LaPresse) – “I was chosen without any merit and, with fear and trembling, I come to you as a brother who wants to be a servant of your faith and your joy, walking with you on the path of God’s love, who desires us all to be united in one single family.”
Thus spoke Pope Leo XIV at the beginning of his homily during the inaugural Mass of his pontificate.
He also recalled the recent days:
“These past days have been particularly intense,” said Leo XIV. “The death of Pope Francis filled our hearts with sorrow, and in those difficult hours, we felt like the crowds the Gospel speaks of, ‘like sheep without a shepherd.’ Yet, on Easter Day itself, we received his final blessing, and in the light of the Resurrection, we faced this moment with the certainty that the Lord never abandons His people; He gathers them when they are scattered and ‘guards them like a shepherd his flock.’
In this spirit of faith, the College of Cardinals convened for the Conclave; coming from different stories and paths, we placed in God’s hands the desire to elect the new successor of Peter, the Bishop of Rome, a shepherd capable of safeguarding the rich heritage of the Christian faith and, at the same time, looking ahead to meet the questions, concerns, and challenges of our time.
Accompanied by your prayers, we felt the work of the Holy Spirit, who harmonized the various instruments, making the strings of our hearts resonate in a single melody.”
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