Pope Leo XIV delivers first Sunday noon blessing, patrons at Chicago church embrace message of Chicago-born pontiff

CHICAGO — Pope Leo XIV delivered his first Sunday noon blessing from the loggia at St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City, three days after the 69-year-old Chicago-born missionary made history as the first American elected to lead the Catholic Church.

Known as the Angelus blessing, Pope Leo — the former Robert Prevost — delivered a prayer, a sermon and a blessing to the estimated 100,000 faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square. He called for just and lasting peace in Ukraine and for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, saying, “I, too, address the world’s great powers by repeating the ever-present call ‘never again war.'”

It was the first time that Pope Leo had returned to the loggia since he first appeared to the world on Thursday evening following his remarkable election as pope, the first from the United States.

Pope Leo was picking up the papal tradition of offering a Sunday blessing at noon, but with several twists. Whereas his predecessors delivered the greeting from the studio window of the Apostolic Palace, off to the side of the piazza, Pope Leo went to the very center of the square and the heart of the church.

He also offered a novelty by singing the Regina Caeli prayer, a Latin prayer said during the Easter season which recent popes would usually just recite.

On Saturday, Pope Leo laid out his vision, making clear a commitment to make the church more inclusive and identifying AI as a threat to humanity. He also visited a sanctuary south of Rome significant to his Augustinian order and a place of pilgrimage since the 15th century.

On his way back to the Vatican, Pope Leo stopped to pray at Pope Francis’ tomb at St. Mary Major Basilica.

Back in Pope Leo’s hometown of Chicago, many of those who gathered for Sunday Mass at Holy Name Cathedral on the Near North Side told WGN-TV they liked what they’re hearing so far from the new pontiff.

“I think he’s a champion of Catholic social teaching, like his predecessor (Pope Francis) was,” Geoffrey McInturf, attending Sunday Mass at Holy Name Cathedral, said.

“I think that’s a good thing.”

Another Holy Name Cathedral attendee emphasized the excitement of having a pope with South Side roots.

“The fact that he’s right here from Chicago is exciting, and the fact that he took the name Leo — which is my grandson’s name — we are exploding in my house,” Annette Stampler, visiting from Florida, said.

“It’s amazing.”

Pope Leo also noted that Sunday is Mother’s Day in many countries and wished all moms a happy Mother’s Day, including moms in heaven.