On Wednesday, May 21, 2025, Pope Leo XIV held his first Wednesday General Audience in St. Peter’s Square, marking a joyful and deeply pastoral beginning to this cherished weekly tradition. With warm smiles and outstretched hands, he toured the square in the Popemobile, accompanied by the Swiss Guard and the Vatican Gendarmerie. He greeted pilgrims with heartfelt blessings, gently placing his hands on the heads of children and praying over them. His papal motto—“In illo uno unum” (“In the one Christ, we are one”)—was prominently displayed, offering a visual and spiritual frame for the morning.
In a subtle yet symbolic shift, Pope Leo returned the audience start time to 10:00 AM. The South Side Chicago native also made history by delivering his English remarks himself. Leo XIV also addressed the crowd in fluent Spanish and Italian, drawing from his 13 years of pastoral service in Peru. He gave special attention to Portuguese-speaking pilgrims, invoking the message of Fatima and the importance of the Rosary.
After the Gospel, catechesis, and Scripture readings, the entire crowd joined the Pope in praying the Our Father in Latin before he offered his apostolic blessing. In his prayer, he called down grace and comfort especially for the elderly, the unborn, and all who suffer throughout the world.
For his catechesis, Pope Leo chose the Parable of the Sower, offering a reflection on the divine generosity of God, who “does not wait for us to become the best soil.” He encouraged the faithful to ponder two guiding questions when hearing any parable: 1. Where am I in this story? 2. What is Jesus trying to communicate to me? He explained that in this parable, the soil represents the human heart, the Church, and the world. Despite the diversity of terrain, God scatters His Word freely and without discrimination. In Jesus’s day, people of all shapes, sizes, backgrounds, and states in life would gather to listen to Him speak.
With humility, clarity, and unity, Pope Leo XIV continues to emerge as a pope rooted in tradition and radically attuned to the people of God.
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Video courtesy of Vatican News
