The Holy See press office on May 16 (last Friday) released a 2nd photograph of Pope Leo XIV, available for free download at this link. (The 1st photo released, on May 10, is below.)
In the image, the pontiff appears smiling, dressed in the traditional white cassock and the gold pectoral cross he wore during his first greeting from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica after his election as the successor of Peter on May 8.
The Vatican stated that “the image is provided free of charge and may only be reproduced for institutional purposes” and that “any use for commercial or other purposes is expressly prohibited.”
The Office of Liturgical Celebrations on May 10 had already published the official portrait of the Holy Father in which he appears wearing the red mozzetta, embroidered stole, rochet, and golden pectoral cross. (link)
Above is the 1st official portrait of Pope Leo XIV. (Credit: Vatican Media)
The Vatican unveiled Pope Leo XIV’s official portrait and signature Saturday, May 10, revealing the American pontiff’s embrace of traditional papal elements just two days after his historic election.
The formal portrait shows the 69-year-old Pope wearing the red mozzetta (short cape), embroidered stole, white rochet, and golden pectoral cross — traditional papal vesture that present a visual contrast to the simpler style preferred by his predecessor.
Vatican Media published the portrait alongside the Pope’s personal signature, which includes the notation “P.P.” — an abbreviation traditionally used in papal signatures that stands for “Pastor Pastorum” (“Shepherd of Shepherds”). Pope Francis had departed from this convention, signing simply as “Franciscus.” (link)
The official coat-of-arms of Pope Leo XIV (Credit: Vatican Media, link)
Beneath the shield runs a scroll displaying the Pope’s episcopal motto: “In illo uno unum” (“In the one (Christ) we are one”), a phrase taken from St. Augustine’s commentary on Psalm 127. The motto reflects Leo’s roots in the Augustinian order and his commitment to unity in the Church.
The heraldic design features a fleur-de-lis (a lily) on a blue background, symbolizing the Virgin Mary, while the right side displays a heart pieced by an arrow, resting on a book against a cream background. This is based on the traditional symbol of the Augustinian order.
The fleur-de-lis has particular significance in Catholic iconography as a symbol of purity and the Virgin Mary.
The three-petaled lily design has also been connected to the Holy Trinity. It is prominently featured in French heraldry, which may hold personal meaning for the Pope, who has French ancestry through his father’s lineage.
Here is the official Vatican explanation exactly as it was published:
Blazon
The left field is blue with a silver fleur-de-lis; the right is white, with a flaming heart pieced by an arrow, entirely red, and resting on an uncovered book.
Above the shield there is a silver mitre, adorned with three gold bands joined by a gold vertical post, with fluttering red infulae, fringed with gold and adorned with gold crosses; in front of the infulae there are the crossed Petrine keys, gold (bend) and silver (bend sinister), linked by a red cord.
Motto
IN ILLO UNO UNUM
Explanation
The coat of arms of the Holy Father Leo XIV
On the left field of the coat of arms of the Holy Father Leo XIV, the blue background recalls the heights of the heavens and is characterized by its Marian significance, a classic symbol referring to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the lily or fleur-de-lis (flos florum).
In the other field, white in colour, there is the emblem of the Augustinian Order, a flaming heart pierced by an arrow. This image symbolically represents the words of Saint Augustine in the book of Confessions: “Sagittaveras tu cor meum charitate tua” (“You have wounded my heart with your love”). It is an element that has always been present in the emblem of the Augustinians from the sixteenth century onwards, albeit with several variations, such as the presence of the book symbolizing the Word of God capable of transforming the heart of every man, as it was for Augustine. The book also recalls the enlightened works that the Doctor of Grace gave to the Church and humanity. White (in an ivory shade in the papal coat of arms) is a recurrent colour in other coats of arms of religious orders, and can be read as a symbol of holiness and purity.
The motto, “In Illo uno unum” (“In the one Christ we are one”), recalls the words of Saint Augustine in a sermon, the Exposition on Psalm 128, explaining that “in the one Christ we are one”, “one in the One Christ”.
don Antonio Pompili
Vice President of the Italian Heraldic Genealogical Institute (link)
Pope Leo XIV, 69, greets Greek Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, 85, on Monday, May 19, the day after the new Pope’s May 18 inauguration Mass, in the Sala Clementina (link) in Vatican City
“The most significant thing about Robert Prevost is that he is an Augustinian whose spirituality is firmly rooted in the teachings of Augustine of Hippo.” —André DeBattista, “An Augustinian at the Vatican,” Times of Malta, May 16, 2025 (link)
“Lo, suppose the voice of a body begins to sound, and does sound, and sounds on, and lo! It ceases… It is now silence… And that voice is past and is no longer a voice. It was future before it sounded, and could not be measured, because as yet it was not; and now it cannot be measured, because it no longer is. Then, therefore, while it was sounding, it might be measured, because there was then that which might be measured. But even then it did not stand still, for it was going and passing away…”
–-St. Augustine of Hippo, Confessions, Book 11, Chapter 27, “Times are measured in proportion as they pass by” (link)
“I am about to repeat a psalm that I know. Before I begin, my attention is extended to the whole; but when I have begun, as much of it as becomes past by my saying it is extended in my memory; and the life of this action of mine is divided between my memory, on account of what I have repeated, and my expectation, on account of what I am about to repeat; yet my consideration is present with me, through which that which was future may be carried over so that it may become past. Which the more it is done and repeated, by so much (expectation being shortened) the memory is enlarged, until the whole expectation be exhausted, when that whole action being ended shall have passed into memory. And what takes place in the entire psalm, takes place also in each individual part of it, and in each individual syllable: this holds in the longer action, of which that psalm is perchance a portion; the same holds in the whole life of man, of which all the actions of man are parts; the same holds in the whole age of the sons of men, of which all the lives of men are parts.” —Ibid., Chapter 28, “Time in the Human Mind, Which Expects, Considers, and Remembers” (link)
Ecclesiastes, Chapter 3, 1-2; 7-8:
1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
2 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
(…)
7 A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
8 A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.
***
Letter #51, 2025, Friday, May 23: Bartholomew
A time for peace, for unity, and for a common profession of a shared faith in the one Lord, Jesus Christ, the Word (Logos) of God — these are the principal themes of the young pontificate of Pope Leo XIV.
And now his task is to work to bring about these blessings — peace, unity, shared faith in Christ — in a pontificate which has begun well, but which will soon face a sea of storms.
As a student of St. Augustine, Pope Leo well understands the original dignity, the later wretchedness, and the final restored glory, of the human person, created in the image of God, subjected, in the Fall, to selfishness, sin and death, now, through the cross and the resurrection, redeemed.
We are at a moment in time, poised between a past that is receding, and a future that is arriving, a moment of present grace in which the preaching, and living out, of the Gospel will be the work and mission of this good man, who is now the successor of Peter.
Pope Francis, Pope Leo, Patriarch Bartholomew, and the trip to Nicaea
At a recent gathering in the Vatican’s Clementine Hall (May 19), Pope Leo XIV, 69, addressed a group of non-Catholic Christian leaders and religious representatives.
Present were figures such as Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, 85, of Constantinople, Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem, 73.
In his remarks (link, full text of the Pope’s address below), the Holy Father stated:
“While we are on the journey to re-establishing full communion among all Christians, we recognize that this unity can only be unity in faith.” (emphasis added)
“As Bishop of Rome, I consider one of my priorities to be that of seeking the re-establishment of full and visible communion among all those who profess the same faith in God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.”
Therefore, for Pope Leo XIV, the goal of ecumenism is not partial or ambiguous communion, but full unity — doctrinal and visible — under the authority of the Church Christ founded.
And full communion requires adherence to the unity of faith—just as it was defined 1,700 years ago at the Council of Nicaea.
The editor of the Aeterni Patris website rightly notes: “For too long, ecumenism has too often meant dialogue without destination — an interminable conversation that would often avoid the hard truths of doctrine and authority. But Pope Leo’s words cut through this fog. Real unity doesn’t come from shared sentiment — it comes from shared faith, in full communion with the Church Christ founded. May the time of feel-good ambiguity give way to clarity, conviction, conversion, and full communion in the unity of one shared faith.”
***
A new beginning
One period in the life of the Church has come to an end.
A new period is beginning.
The period we have just lived through lasted from the death of Pope Francis on April 21 to the election of Pope Leo XIV on May 8.
It was the period of “sede vacante” — of the vacancy of the See of Peter..
It has now been a month since Pope Francis passed away on April 21, the day after Easter.
Few recall (though it was in the intention of Pope Francis, link) that, had Francis lived and been in good health, he would have traveled from Rome to Nicaea on May 25, to commemorate the 1st Ecumenical Council, which began on May 25, 325 A.D. — 1,700 years ago on the day after tomorrow.
That Council brought Church unity around the agreed definition of the consubstantiality of Jesus of Nazareth with the Almighty Creator God — that Jesus was truly the Son of God, as he himself said he was during his years of public ministry.
Pope Leo wishes to restore that unity, lost during the centuries.
And he has already taken steps toward this unity, receiving on May 19, the first morning after his inaugural Mass on May 18, the leader of the worldwide Orthodox Church, which has been divided from the Catholic Church since 1054, following a thousand years of unity.
Here below is a report on the visit to Rome of Patriarch Bartholomew, by Polish journalist Anna Artymiak, who met with Bartholomew on Monday, May 19, during his visit to the tomb of Pope Francis in the Basilica of St. Mary Major, where Francis asked to be laid to rest…
—RM
Pope Francis planned to be in Nicaea on May 25
By Anna Artymiak, Special to Inside the Vatican magazine
May 23, 2025
In two days he would have gone to Nicaea in Turkey to celebrate the 1,700th anniversary of the first Council of Nicaea, had the Lord not called him from this life.
It was a long-awaited trip of the late Pope.
Francis already in 2014 accepted an idea of the celebration of this unique anniversary. It would have been his only trip, just a one-day trip, during the whole 2025 Jubilee Year.
Pope Francis gave a long reflection on the meaning of the Council of Nicaea during one of the last homilies before his death.
At the Vespers for the Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul on January 25th this year in the Basilica of St. Paul’s Outside-the-Walls, the Holy Father said:
“The Jubilee Year of Hope celebrated by the Catholic Church coincides with an anniversary of great significance for all Christians: the 1,700th anniversary of the first great ecumenical council: the Council of Nicaea.
“This Council sought to preserve the unity of the Church at a very difficult time, and the Council Fathers unanimously approved the Creed that many Christians still recite each Sunday at the celebration of the Eucharist.
“This Creed is a common profession of faith that transcends all the divisions that have riven the Body of Christ over the centuries.
“The anniversary of the Council of Nicaea is therefore a year of grace, an opportunity for all Christians who recite the same Creed and believe in the same God.
“Let us rediscover the common roots of the faith; let us preserve unity! Let us always move forward! May the unity we are all searching for be found.
“What comes to mind is something that the great Orthodox theologian Ioannis Zizioulas used to say: ‘I know the date of full communion: the day after the final judgment! In the meantime, we must walk together, work together, pray together, love together. And this is something very beautiful!’
“Dear brothers and sisters, this faith we share is a precious gift, but it is also a task. The anniversary should be celebrated not only as a ‘historical memory,’ but also as a pledge to bear witness to the growing communion between us.
“We must take care not to let it slip away, but rather to build solid bonds, cultivate mutual friendship, and be instruments of communion and fraternity.
“In this Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, we can also draw from the anniversary of the Council of Nicaea a call to persevere in the journey towards unity.
“This year, the celebration of Easter coincides in both the Gregorian and Julian calendars, a circumstance that proves providential as we commemorate the anniversary of the Ecumenical Council.
“I renew my appeal that this coincidence may serve as an appeal to all Christians to take a decisive step forward towards unity around a common date for Easter (cf. Bull Spes Non Confundit, 17). The Catholic Church is open to accepting the date that everyone wants: a date of unity.”
Everything changed when Francis was suddenly hospitalized on February 14. Immediately it was clear the Pope was so ill that he would not be able to make the trip to Nicaea.
The trip was postponed.
This is one of the legacies of Pope Francis that the newly-elected Pope Leo XIV wishes to honor and uphold.
This past Monday, May 19, early in the morning, the Holy Father received in private audience the Ecumenical Patriarch, Bartholomew I of Constantinople.
The key question of their private meeting was the trip to Nicaea.
Already it was clear that there was too little time to organize a trip for the end of May.
At the same time, it was clear that a one-day trip would also not be possible, as Turkish protocol requires a head of state coming to the country for the first time to visit the country’s capital city, Ankara.
Therefore, Pope Leo XIV probably will make a three-day trip to the country.
The Ecumenical Patriarch suggested to come for the Feast of St. Andrew, November 30.
Leo XIV promised the Patriarch he will come to Nicaea this year, the year of 1700th anniversary of the first Council, but he did not to promise any dates as the Pope confessed he still needs to understand his other obligations.
Later on May 19, the Holy Father received in private audience Representatives of other Churches and Ecclesial Communities, as well as of other religions who came for the Celebration of the beginning of his Petrine ministry. At his address Leo XIV dedicated a long passage on the first Council of Nicaea assuring he would like to continue his predecessor’s path.
The Pope said, speaking in a personal tone:
“My election has taken place during the year of the 1,700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea. That Council represents a milestone in the formulation of the Creed shared by all Churches and Ecclesial Communities. While we are on the journey to re-establishing full communion among all Christians, we recognize that this unity can only be unity in faith. As Bishop of Rome, I consider one of my priorities to be that of seeking the re-establishment of full and visible communion among all those who profess the same faith in God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
“Indeed, unity has always been a constant concern of mine, as witnessed by the motto I chose for my episcopal ministry: In Illo uno unum, an expression of Saint Augustine of Hippo that reminds us how we too, although we are many, “in the One — that is, Christ — we are one” (Enarr. in Ps., 127, 3).
“What is more, our communion is realized to the extent that we meet in the Lord Jesus. The more faithful and obedient we are to Him, the more united we are among ourselves. We Christians, then, are all called to pray and work together to reach this goal, step by step, which is and remains the work of the Holy Spirit.
Bartholomew at the tomb of Francis
Patriarch Bartholomew’s visit to Rome for the celebration of the beginning of Leo XIV’s Petrine ministry was an occasion to him to come to pray at the tomb of Pope Francis.
The Patriarch along with Metropolitan Job and Metropolitan Polykarpos and the deacon, Evlogios, arrived at Saint Mary Major Basilica a few minutes after 3 pm.
Bartholomew placed a bouquet of flowers on the tomb of Francis and sang a psalm praying for the eternal rest of Pope Francis’ soul. He chanted these words in Greek:
“Receive, Our Lord and Savior, the soul of your servant, Francis, in that place where there is no pain or suffering, where there is true peace.”
At the exit of the basilica, the Ecumenical Patriarch was so kind to meet a few correspondents present outside the Basilica and waiting for his comment. He did want to answer too many questions, but he was willing to comment on the most important issues for us: his first private meeting with Pope Leo XIV, the upcoming trip to Nicaea, and his memories of the late Pope Francis.
Bartholomew made a short statement in Italian. I was among the correspondents, representing Inside the Vatican magazine, to greet the Patriarch on behalf of our Editor-in-chief, Robert Moynihan. Somehow it seemed to me like a mission impossible. But the fact that Bartholomew stopped to talk with us was a sign of hope. In a few sentences he satisfied all our expectations. He said:
“Pope Francis and shared the same ideals, the same visions for the future of the Church and for humanity. Francis honored us with his visit to us at the beginning of his pontificate in 2014. We visited Jerusalem together in the same year, in May 2014. We knelt and prayed before the tomb of Jesus for the re-establishment of the union of our Churches and for the good and peace of all humanity.
“While he was preparing to come to Turkey once again to celebrate together the 1700th anniversary of the first Council of Nicaea, the Lord called him to Heaven, from where we are certain and sure that he prays for us all.
“This morning I met His Holiness Pope Leo. I saw great satisfaction that we can continue on the same path for our Churches, for Christianity as a whole, for peace in the world. He assured me that he wants to come to Turkey for the anniversary of Nicaea. We have not set a concrete date, but certainly this year.
“This is our desire, also our wish, and it will be our honor to welcome His Holiness perhaps on his first trip outside the Vatican. To visit Nicaea, but also to make an official visit to the Church of Constantinople, to the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
A journalist asked Bartholomew to recall the time when he studied in Rome, in the 1960s, at the time of the Second Vatican Council.
“I recall many good professors. The courses were in Latin. It was the Second Vatican Council that introduced Italian into the pontifical universities, but when I studied, it was Latin. At first it was difficult for me, but little by little I managed to understand and to pass the exams.”
It was a special day for another reason. On May 19, 1984, 41 years ago, Robert Moynihan arrived in Rome. Probably he would never imagine how this trip would change his life. Bob — as we call him in press office — has already covered four Popes: John Paul II, Benedict, Francis, and now, Leo XIV.”
—Anna Artymiak
ADDRESS OF THE HOLY FATHER
TO REPRESENTATIVES OF OTHER CHURCHES AND ECCLESIAL COMMUNITIES,
AND OTHER RELIGIONS
Clementine Hall
Monday, 19 May 2025
___________________________________
Dear brothers and sisters,
With great joy I extend my cordial greetings to all of you, Representatives of other Churches and Ecclesial Communities, as well as of other religions, who participated in the inaugural celebration of my ministry as Bishop of Rome and Successor of Peter. I express fraternal affection to His All Holiness Bartholomew, His Beatitude Theophilos III and His Holiness Mar Awa III, and to each of you I am deeply grateful for your presence and prayers, which are a great comfort and encouragement.
One of the strong emphases of Pope Francis’ pontificate was that of universal fraternity. In this regard the Holy Spirit really “urged” him to advance with great strides the initiatives already undertaken by previous Pontiffs, especially since Saint John XXIII. The Pope of Fratelli Tutti promoted both the ecumenical path and interreligious dialogue. He did so above all by cultivating interpersonal relations, in such a way that, without taking anything away from ecclesial bonds, the human trait of the encounter was always valued. May God help us to treasure his witness!
My election has taken place during the year of the 1700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea. That Council represents a milestone in the formulation of the Creed shared by all Churches and Ecclesial Communities. While we are on the journey to re-establishing full communion among all Christians, we recognise that this unity can only be unity in faith. As Bishop of Rome, I consider one of my priorities to be that of seeking the re-establishment of full and visible communion among all those who profess the same faith in God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Indeed, unity has always been a constant concern of mine, as witnessed by the motto I chose for my episcopal ministry: In Illo uno unum, an expression of Saint Augustine of Hippo that reminds us how we too, although we are many, “in the One — that is Christ — we are one” (Enarr. in Ps., 127, 3). What is more, our communion is realised to the extent that we meet in the Lord Jesus. The more faithful and obedient we are to him, the more united we are among ourselves. We Christians, then, are all called to pray and work together to reach this goal, step by step, which is and remains the work of the Holy Spirit.
Aware, moreover, that synodality and ecumenism are closely linked, I would like to assure you of my intention to continue Pope Francis’ commitment to promoting the synodal nature of the Catholic Church and developing new and concrete forms for an ever stronger synodality in ecumenical relations.
Our common path can and must also be understood in the broad sense of involving everyone, in the spirit of human fraternity that I mentioned above. Now is the time for dialogue and building bridges. I am therefore pleased and grateful for the presence of representatives of other religious traditions, who share the search for God and his will, which is always and only the will of love and life for men and women and for all creatures.
You have witnessed the remarkable efforts made by Pope Francis in favour of interreligious dialogue. Through his words and actions, he opened new avenues of encounter, to promote “the culture of dialogue as the path; mutual collaboration as the code of conduct; reciprocal understanding as the method and standard” (A Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together, Abu Dhabi, 4 February 2019). I thank the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue for the essential role it plays in this patient work of encouraging meetings and concrete exchanges aimed at building relationships based on human fraternity.
In a special way I greet our Jewish and Muslim brothers and sisters. Because of the Jewish roots of Christianity, all Christians have a special relationship with Judaism. The conciliar Declaration Nostra Aetate (no. 4) emphasises the greatness of the spiritual heritage shared by Christians and Jews, encouraging mutual knowledge and esteem. The theological dialogue between Christians and Jews remains ever important and close to my heart. Even in these difficult times, marked by conflicts and misunderstandings, it is necessary to continue the momentum of this precious dialogue of ours.
Relations between the Catholic Church and Muslims have been marked by a growing commitment to dialogue and fraternity, fostered by esteem for these our brothers and sisters who “worship God, who is one, living and subsistent, merciful and almighty, the Creator of heaven and earth, who has also spoken to humanity” (ibid., 3). This approach, based on mutual respect and freedom of conscience, is a solid foundation for building bridges between our communities.
To all of you, representatives of other religious traditions, I express my gratitude for your participation in this meeting and for your contribution to peace. In a world wounded by violence and conflict, each of the communities represented here brings its own contribution of wisdom, compassion and commitment to the good of humanity and the preservation of our common home. I am convinced that if we are in agreement, and free from ideological and political conditioning, we can be effective in saying “no” to war and “yes” to peace, “no” to the arms race and “yes” to disarmament, “no” to an economy that impoverishes peoples and the Earth and “yes” to integral development.
The witness of our fraternity, which I hope we will be able to show with effective gestures, will certainly contribute to building a more peaceful world, something that all men and women of good will desire in their hearts.
Dear friends, thank you again for your closeness. Let us ask for God’s blessing in our hearts: may his infinite goodness and wisdom help us to live as his children and as brothers and sisters to each other, so that hope may grow in the world. I offer you my heartfelt gratitude.
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