“Today I can say that for you and with you I am Roman.” With these emotional words, Pope Leo XIV appeared before the mayor of Rome, Roberto Gualtieri, who paid tribute to him minutes before he went to the Basilica of San Juan de Letán to take possession of his chair as Bishop of Rome.
The Volkswagen armored SUV transported to the Pontiff left the Vatican around 4:00 p.m. (local time) to go to the Basilica of San Juan de Letrán, the Cathedral of Rome, where it is planned that at 5:00 p.m. (local time) be invested as bishop of Rome after celebrating a Mass.
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Before arriving at this basilica – the first major Christian cult that Roma raised after Emperor Constantine allowed religious freedom in the year 313 – the official vehicle stopped in the square of the Aracoeli, Just at the foot of the staircase of Campidoglio, where the main access to the Senatorio Palace, historical headquarters of the City of Rome and where Mayor Gualtieri received the Pontiff is located.
“Shortly after the election, I remembered the brothers and sisters gathered in the Plaza de San Pedro that I am with them Christian and for them Bishop: specially, today I can say that for you and with you I am Roman,” said León XIV, who started a great ovation among those present.
Pope Leo XIV stressed before the civil and military authorities the spiritual and social dimension of his episcopal mission: “When officially beginning the Ministry of Pastor of this diocese, I feel the serious but exciting responsibility of serving all its members, having in the first place in the heart the faith of the people of God and, therefore, the common good of society.”
Thus, he highlighted his willing collaboration with the local administration: “We are collaborators, each in their own institutional field.”
Pope Leo XIV referred to the historical mission that the Catholic Church has played in the Italian capital and highlighted how his apostolate in Rome has lived in Rome “announcing the Gospel of Christ and surrendering to charity.”
“The education of young people and the assistance to those who suffer, the dedication to the last and the cultivation of the arts are expressions of that care for human dignity that we must sustain at all times, especially towards the little ones, the weak and the poor,” he added.
When speaking of the Jubileo de la Esperanza, which inaugurated his predecessor Pope Francis, expressed his gratitude for the “commitment of the capital administration, for which I express viva gratitude.”
Finally, before imparting the apostolic blessing before those present, Pope Leo XIV expressed his desire that Rome, a city “unmatched by the wealth of its historical and artistic heritage, always distinguishes itself also by those values of humanity and civilization that their vital sap obtain from the Gospel.”
Walk together for a more just and inclusive city
Before Pope Leo XIV took the floor, the mayor thanked the pontiff for renewing the tradition of the meeting in the square of the Aracoeli, Headquarters of the municipal government, stressing that this gesture is another sample of the “affection” that the Holy Father has for the Italian capital. Gualtieri defined it as “a confirmation of the deep link between Rome and the universal dimension of the Church.”
The last pontiff in starring this greeting was Paul VI who met with the mayor of the time, Glauco Della Porta. In 1978 this gesture should be repeated, but Juan Pablo I never reached the official meeting at the headquarters of the City of Rome, since he died a month after his election.
The mayor stressed that this link has nurtured the city for centuries with “culture, ethical values and shared responsibility, especially in the construction of peace,“ the highest vocation of Rome. ”In that sense, he thanked the first words of Pope Leo XIV that he cried for the end of wars in the world.
Gualtieri stressed the importance of the Jubilee de la Esperanza as an opportunity to transform the city, and said he was especially preparing to welcome thousands of young people in the next jubilee of young people. Rome, he said, is committed to “being a more fair, sustainable and inclusive city with special attention to the peripheries and the most fragile.”
The mayor also recognized “the value of collaboration with the Church”, specifically, with parishes, in projects to dignify the lives of all citizens, including immigrants and those who seek hope. Within that framework, he expressed the desire that Rome and the Pope work together for a “new policy, new relations between peoples and a more human social model.”
Finally, Gualtieri said: “We are happy that Rome is now its city” and said that the capital will be a “loyal ally in its pastoral mission.”
Victoria Cardiel
Victoria Cardiel is a journalist specialized in social and religious information issues. Since 2013, he has covered all the news of the Vatican for various media, such as the Spanish news agency Europa Press, or the weekly of the Archdiocese of Madrid, Alfa and Omega.