It’s been one month since Pope Leo XIV stepped onto the balcony of St. Peter’s as the newly elected pontiff, and in that short time he has woven a tapestry of small, moving moments that speak volumes about his character. On the evening of his election, the 69-year-old Chicago-born pope appeared beaming at the crowds, and spoke his very first words not as a distant dignitary, but as a caring pastor: “Peace be with you!”
He offered this greeting of peace to everyone – to “resound in your hearts, in your families, among all people … in every nation and throughout the world,” as shared by Vatican News.
Those gathered in St. Peter’s Square felt immediately that the new Pope’s priority was not politics or pomp, but a genuine desire to share the gentle peace of Christ. It was a moment at once grand and intimate: the centuries-old ritual of Habemus Papam (“We have a Pope”) suddenly centered on a simple, heartfelt wish for peace in every home. In that instant, many saw not just the Successor of St. Peter, but a humble shepherd greeting his flock.
[See 12 images from the first month in the slideshow below.]
Humble and radiating warmth
From the start, Pope Leo XIV has shown a disarming humility and warmth. At his Inaugural Mass in St. Peter’s Square a week later – an event attended by some 200,000 faithful and dignitaries – the new Pope spoke not of his own achievements, but of unearned grace, declaring:
“I was chosen, without any merit of my own … I come to you as a brother, who desires to be the servant of your faith and your joy, walking with you on the path of God’s love.”
This striking admission, “without any merit of my own,” and his pledge to walk alongside his people, set the tone for his leadership. In a world accustomed to power and prestige, here was a man embracing servanthood and fraternity. Standing before throngs of people from every culture, Pope Leo described himself simply as a fellow pilgrim “with fear and trembling," ready to serve “with …joy." Such words, echoed by the joyful tears of many in the Square, revealed a Successor of Peter who sees the papacy not as a throne, but as a calling to love and unity.
Singing from his heart
While these public speeches were inspiring, it has often been the unscripted, human moments that have most endeared Pope Leo XIV to Catholics. Just days after his election, on the second Sunday of May, the Holy Father made his first Sunday address truly unforgettable.
Appearing at the central balcony of St. Peter’s at noon for the Regina Caeli prayer, he surprised the crowd by chanting the ancient Marian hymn a cappella instead of reciting it. With a confident smile, the Pope intoned the first lines of the Easter-season prayer, and thousands of pilgrims below broke into delighted applause.
At 69, Pope Leo’s energetic voice and joyful courage made an immediate impression, especially coming so soon after the frail final blessings of his predecessor only weeks before. As Aleteia previously shared, he approached the microphone smiling and confident, greeting, “Dear brothers and sisters, happy Sunday!” – a warm, fatherly welcome that felt remarkably personal in the vast Square.
Heartfelt words to mothers
After leading the prayer, Pope Leo turned to a topic close to his heart: mothers. Prompting smiles from the crowds he announced:
“Today, in Italy and in other countries, we celebrate Mother’s Day. I send a warm greeting to all mothers, with a prayer for them and for those who are already in heaven. Happy Mother’s Day to all mothers.”
In that simple wish, delivered with a broad grin, the new Pope showed a tender awareness of ordinary people’s joys and struggles. Sons and daughters in the Square cheered and many mothers wiped away happy tears, moved that the Pope of the universal Church thought to wish them a happy Mother’s Day. It was a small gesture – just a few heartfelt words – but it spoke volumes about Leo XIV’s habit of noticing the “little ones” and lifting their hearts.
Genuine and approachable
Those who have seen Pope Leo up close describe him as approachable and genuinely interested in people. This was on full display at his first General Audience in St. Peter’s Square on May 21. Before he even spoke a word of teaching that Wednesday, Pope Leo made sure to spend quality time with the pilgrims who had come from around the world to see him.
With “warm smiles and outstretched hands,” he rode slowly through the crowd in an open-topped popemobile, waving and reaching out to touch as many hands as possible. At one point, the popemobile paused and the Holy Father gently placed his hand on the head of a baby girl held up to him, offering a fatherly blessing, as shared by Relevant Radio.
He bent low to kiss the forehead of another infant and traced the sign of the cross on a toddler’s brow. People laughed and cried with joy to see the Pope so present with them — just like a parish priest greeting his parishioners one by one.
Indeed, eyewitnesses not how he takes his time, personally blessing children and gently laying hands on the sick and elderly in the front rows. It is the portrait of a shepherd caring for his flock, and it confirms that Leo XIV’s pastoral heart is not an abstraction but a lived reality.
Ensuring everyone is seen and valued
When Pope Leo finally reached the dais to begin his catechesis that day, he continued to show his human touch in simple ways. The South Side Chicago native made history by delivering part of his address in English himself, a nod to being the first U.S.-born pope. Then, switching to fluent Spanish and Italian, he greeted groups from Latin America and Europe.
This personal ability to speak in the mother tongues of so many Catholics — rather than relying wholly on translators — drew appreciative cheers. Pope Leo ended the audience with a prayer that God bless the elderly, the unborn, and all who suffer, showing that his concern truly extends to every member of the human family. No one was too small or too marginalized to be remembered in his blessing. It was a beautiful example of how Pope Leo is working to ensure each person feels seen and valued in the Church he now leads.
An example behind the scenes
Not all of Pope Leo XIV’s endearing moments have been public. Some of the most telling signs of his character have emerged in quieter encounters. For instance, just a few days before that general audience, the Pope held a special meeting with about 5,000 Vatican employees and their families in Paul VI Hall. These are the gardeners, housekeepers, secretaries, guards, and countless support staff who keep the Vatican running behind the scenes.
Instead of a perfunctory greeting, Pope Leo spoke to them from the heart, thanking them for their often “hidden” service, especially during the busy days of the papal transition. Then came a big surprise: as a token of gratitude, he announced that each employee would receive a 500 euro bonus in their next paycheck. There was an eruption of cheers and even tears of joy among the staff. Many could not believe the Pope would think of their needs in such a direct way.
“Popes come and go; the Curia remains,” Leo XIV quipped with a smile, acknowledging that long after any pontificate, it’s these ordinary workers who are the Church’s living “institutional memory," as shared by America Magazine. In one stroke, he showed that he does not see himself as above those who do the everyday labor of the Church. It was a gesture of solidarity with working families — very much in line with his namesake St. Leo the Great’s ancient title “servant of the servants of God,” but expressed in a modern, tangible way.
A man who remembers
Throughout these weeks, Pope Leo has also shown a deep reverence for those who came before him and a constant mindfulness of the human stories around him. In late May, during one of his addresses, he paused to ask the Church to remember “our beloved Pope Francis, who exactly one month ago returned to the house of our Father."
It was a heartfelt reference to his predecessor’s passing, made on the one-month anniversary of Francis’ death, and it was clear Leo XIV carries forward an attitude of gratitude. In a private moment immediately after his election, the Pope had slipped into the Basilica of St. Mary Major, not for a grand ceremony but to pray quietly at Pope Francis’ tomb. Witnesses saw him in silent prayer for several minutes before the simple grave, then stand to lay a gentle hand on the marble slab in respect, leaving a white rose in honor of St. Thérèse.
He also spent time before the beloved icon of Mary (Salus Populi Romani) that Pope Francis used to visit before and after every journey. This wordless pilgrimage spoke volumes. It showed Pope Leo as a man who remembers, a spiritual son who honors the legacy of the spiritual father before him. There was something deeply moving in seeing a newly minted pope, with all the world’s expectations on his shoulders, taking time for quiet prayer at his predecessor’s resting place.
In fact, Leo XIV has made a point of referencing past popes and spiritual fathers in these days, a sign of humility and continuity. He knows he builds on foundations others laid, and he doesn’t hesitate to acknowledge that in prayer. For the faithful, this humility is reassuring. It suggests that the new pope seeks not his own glory, but God’s, and that he sees himself as part of the ongoing story of the Church rather than the start of it.
Sharing the warmth of family
As the weeks of spring went on, Pope Leo’s joyful spirit continued to shine in larger gatherings as well. On June 1, the feast of Pentecost, the Vatican hosted a Jubilee celebration for Families, Children, Grandparents, and the Elderly, and Pope Leo presided over Mass in a sun-drenched St. Peter’s Square. More than 60,000 people from 131 countries filled the plaza– a mosaic of families with strollers, kids on parents’ shoulders, and grandparents holding hands with grandchildren.
Before the liturgy began, Pope Leo spent over 20 minutes circling the square in his popemobile to greet as many families as possible. The atmosphere felt more like a family reunion than a formal ceremony: pilgrims from around the globe waved their national flags and chanted “Leone! Leone!” (Italian for “Leo”) as he waved back with obvious delight. At one point, he spotted a little boy in a wheelchair holding up a drawing.
The Pope asked the driver to stop, climbed down, and gave the child a warm embrace, thanking him for the drawing – which turned out to be a crayon sketch of Jesus and the Pope smiling together. The Square erupted in cheers at this unplanned exchange, a poignant symbol of the bridge Pope Leo is building to the next generation. Photographers captured another tender image: Leo XIV leaning from the popemobile to caress the cheek of a toddler who had wriggled forward in her father’s arms. The Holy Father’s face in that snapshot is pure joy – the kind you’d see on a grandfather utterly enchanted by his grandchild.
During the Mass that followed, Pope Leo sang parts of the liturgy – including the opening prayer – in a clear, melodic voice, leading his flock in worship as if it were the most natural thing in the world. In his homily, he spoke about the family as “the cradle of the future of humanity,” praising how faith is handed down through the loving witness of parents and grandparents. But for many present that day, his actions spoke even louder than his words. This was a Pope who doesn’t just preach about the beauty of family – he visibly shares in its warmth and laughter.
This is also clearly seen in the truly long moments the Pope has spent with newly married couples at the general audiences. While many might expect that only those finely-dressed brides and grooms in the first row might get the papal handshake, instead, Leo has patiently worked his way through line after line of couples, and not just for a quick hello. One can only wonder at all the marital and family advice that he has given in these unhurried moments of intimacy.
A beautiful surprise
Pope Leo XIV’s small acts of love have inspired a renewed sense of hope. It turns out that what touches people’s hearts most are not grand gestures, but genuine ones. A month ago, few could have imagined an American-Peruvian pope, or one who would take the name Leo – a name invoking legendary papal greatness – yet carrying it with such a light, personal touch.
And yet here he is: Cracking jokes with Vatican staff and dignitaries, praying in the silent corners of Rome’s churches, wading into crowds to share hugs and blessings, and singing ancient prayers with childlike faith. Indeed, Pope Leo has been a surprise – a beautiful surprise – precisely because he reminds us that the heart of our faith is relational and alive.
