Leo XIV, ‘humble servant of God’, visits sanctuary in first papal outing

AFP |  Vatican City

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Leo XIV visited an Augustinian sanctuary near Rome Saturday in his first outing since being made pope, after telling cardinals he intended to follow his predecessor’s path as pontiff, praising Francis’s “complete dedication to service”.

The Chicago-born pontiff paid a “private visit” Saturday afternoon to the Mother of Good Counsel Sanctuary in Genazzano, about 50 kilometres (31 miles) southeast of Rome, the Vatican said.

Earlier, addressing a meeting of cardinals at the Vatican just two days after being elected the 267th pope, he provided some early clues as to what his priorities and style would be.

Leo explained his new choice of name reflected a commitment to social causes while describing himself as St Peter’s “unworthy Successor”.

Born Robert Francis Prevost, the pope told assembled cardinals a pontiff was “a humble servant of God and of his brothers and sisters, and nothing more than this”.

He praised Francis’s “complete dedication to service and to sober simplicity of life”, according to a transcript of the gathering published by the Vatican.

“Let us take up this precious legacy and continue on the journey, inspired by the same hope that is born of faith,” he told the College of Cardinals.

The new pope was given a standing ovation as he entered the conference hall wearing a white papal robe, video released by the Vatican showed.

Among the Church priorities championed by Francis, Leo said he intended to uphold “loving care for the least and the rejected” and his “courageous and trusting dialogue with the contemporary world in its various components and realities”.

He also mentioned “the missionary conversion of the entire Christian community” and growth in “synodality,” a top priority of Francis’s that sought to open the Church to welcome more voices