Latest news with #SundayBlessing
Washington Post
11-05-2025
- General
- Washington Post
Whoops, waves, tears: Faithful react to Pope Leo's first Sunday blessing in St. Peter's Sqaure
VATICAN CITY — Tens of thousands of faithful Catholics gathered in St. Peter's Square to watch Pope Leo XIV deliver the first Sunday blessing of his pontificate exactly at noon. They unfurled flags from around the world, waved back as the first U.S. pope waved from the loggia, and whooped, hugged and wiped away tears as he shared a greeting for Mother's Day.
BreakingNews.ie
11-05-2025
- General
- BreakingNews.ie
Pope Leo celebrates Mass at tomb of St Peter before first Sunday blessing
Pope Leo XIV celebrated a private Mass on Sunday near the tomb of St Peter, before he was to deliver his first Sunday noon blessing from St Peter's Basilica. The Vatican said the Pope was joined by the head of his Augustinian order, the Rev Alejandro Moral Anton. The Mass occurred in the grottoes underneath St Peter's, the traditional burial place of St Peter – the apostle who is considered the be the first pope. Advertisement The area, which is normally open to the public, also contains the tombs of past popes, including Benedict XVI. Huge crowds have gathered to St Peter's Square to see Pope Leo's first Sunday blessing (Domenico Stinellis/AP) Hours before Leo was to appear to the public, St Peter's Square was filing up with pilgrims, well-wishers and the curious, joined by multiple marching bands that made grand entrances into the square. Leo on Saturday prayed before the tomb of Pope Francis, located at the St Mary Major Basilica. The 69-year-old Chicago-born missionary was elected the 267th Pope on Thursday, the first American pontiff. He appeared to the world from the same loggia at St Peter's Basilica, offering a message of peace and unity. Advertisement
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
What is the traditional Sunday blessing that popes deliver in St. Peter's Square?
VATICAN CITY (AP) — For thousands of Catholic pilgrims in Rome, it's the unmissable Vatican appointment: the midday Sunday blessing the pope delivers from a window overlooking St. Peter's Square. The new pope, Leo XIV, is scheduled to deliver his first such prayer on Sunday from the loggia where he first appeared in public after being elected three days ago. Here is a look at the history, meaning and memorable moments from Sunday blessings of popes past. The history of the pope's Sunday blessing In 1954, which he had declared a special year of veneration to the Virgin Mary, Pope Pius XII started reciting in public a traditional Catholic midday prayer to her. He first delivered it from the pope's summer residence, just outside Rome at Castel Gandolfo. Back at the Vatican, he kept it up from a window facing St. Peter's Square at the Apostolic Palace, the 16th century building where the papal apartments are. Pope Francis broke with tradition by living at a Vatican guest house instead but still maintained the Sunday prayer tradition from the palace. It's become a chance for ordinary faithful to see the pope relatively up close. Especially since the papacy of St. John Paul II – from 1978 to 2005 – popes have added short messages touching on different topics of the day. When a pope misses the weekly occasion – as Francis did earlier this year during his hospitalization – it makes global news. The Vatican announced Leo would deliver his first such prayer on Sunday, which is coincidentally Mother's Day in Italy and the United States, among other countries. The prayer to Mary The Angelus is the short prayer to Mary that many Catholics recite daily. Often prayed before Mass, but traditionally accompanied by the tolling of bells at dawn, midday and early evening, it references the moment when the Gospels say the Archangel Gabriel told Mary she would become the mother of God, and she accepted. 'Angelus' is Latin for angel, and the prayer's first verse is 'The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary.' The faithful then answer, 'And she conceived of the Holy Spirit,' followed by a Hail Mary and a few more verses and prayers. This 'annunciation' scene is so pivotal in Christian dogma that it's been represented by some of the most celebrated painters for centuries. Some artists have also portrayed the faithful reciting the Angelus, a practice that is believed to have started in the Middle Ages. During Eastertime – the current liturgical season, spanning 50 days from Easter Sunday to Pentecost – the prayer is substituted with another devotion to Mary, the Regina Coeli (also spelled Caeli, Latin for 'Queen of Heaven') that encourages rejoicing in Christ's resurrection. Memorable Sunday prayer moments Looking frail, St. John Paul II appeared at his hospital window for his last Angelus prayer less than three weeks before he died in 2005. He didn't speak, only blessing the crowd with an olive branch. An archbishop delivered his message, with the trademark exhortation to young people not to be afraid to follow Jesus. Tens of thousands of people packed St. Peter's Square when Pope Benedict XVI gave his final Sunday prayer in 2013 before becoming the first pope in 600 years to resign. They cheered him on as he reassured the faithful he wasn't abandoning the church, but rather turning to prayer because of his advancing age. At his first Angelus in 2013, Francis introduced a key motif of his papacy: mercy. 'A bit of mercy makes the world less cold and more just,' he told the crowd. More recently, Francis used the Sunday blessings to call for peace, especially in Ukraine and Gaza. But he also would close his blessings with the down-to-earth phrase, 'Have a good lunch." ___ Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP's collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. Giovanna Dell'orto, The Associated Press
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Watch live: Pope Leo XIV to deliver first Sunday noon blessing
Pope Leo XIV will give his first Sunday noon blessing since being elected as the first U.S.-born pope in the Catholic Church's 2,000-year history. The Chicago-born 69-year-old Augustinian missionary has a busy few days ahead of him as he takes on his official pope duties. On Sunday, he is set to deliver the blessing from the loggia of Saint Peter's Basilica and attend an audience with the media on Monday in the Vatican auditorium. What's next Leo will be formally installed as pope at a Mass on May 18 and will preside over his first general audience May 21. Meanwhile, he asked all Vatican leaders, who technically lost their jobs when Pope Francis died on April 21, to remain in their posts until he decides definitively on whether to confirm them. RELATED: Pope Leo XIV identifies biggest threat to humanity Pope Leo, born Robert Prevost in 1955, was elected on Thursday afternoon. Dig deeper Leo joined the Order of Saint Augustine in 1977 and made his solemn vow in 1981. He earned degrees in mathematics, divinity, and canon law—including a doctorate from the Pontifical College of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome. Prevost was ordained in 1982 and began his pastoral and academic service in Peru in 1985, where he served in roles such as chancellor, seminary rector, canon law professor, and judicial vicar. In 1999, Prevost was elected provincial priory of the Augustinians in Chicago, and just a few years later, he became prior general of the worldwide order, serving two terms until 2013. He then returned to Peru at Pope Francis' request to serve as apostolic administrator—and later bishop—of the Diocese of Chiclayo. In January 2023, Pope Francis appointed Prevost prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, a powerful Vatican role responsible for episcopal appointments worldwide. He was made a cardinal in September of the same year. What they're saying In his first words, Pope Leo XIV said "Peace be with you." From the loggia of St. Peter's Basilica, he recalled that he was an Augustinian priest, but a Christian above all, and a bishop, "so we can all walk together." He spoke in Italian and then switched to Spanish, recalling his many years spent as a missionary and then archbishop of Chiclayo, Peru. The Source Information for this article was gathered from previous reporting by FOX Local and The Associated Press contributed. This story was reported from Los Angeles.
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
What is the traditional Sunday blessing that popes deliver in St. Peter's Square?
VATICAN CITY (AP) — For thousands of Catholic pilgrims in Rome, it's the unmissable Vatican appointment: the midday Sunday blessing the pope delivers from a window overlooking St. Peter's Square. The new pope, Leo XIV, is scheduled to deliver his first such prayer on Sunday from the loggia where he first appeared in public after being elected three days ago. Here is a look at the history, meaning and memorable moments from Sunday blessings of popes past. The history of the pope's Sunday blessing In 1954, which he had declared a special year of veneration to the Virgin Mary, Pope Pius XII started reciting in public a traditional Catholic midday prayer to her. He first delivered it from the pope's summer residence, just outside Rome at Castel Gandolfo. Back at the Vatican, he kept it up from a window facing St. Peter's Square at the Apostolic Palace, the 16th century building where the papal apartments are. Pope Francis broke with tradition by living at a Vatican guest house instead but still maintained the Sunday prayer tradition from the palace. It's become a chance for ordinary faithful to see the pope relatively up close. Especially since the papacy of St. John Paul II – from 1978 to 2005 – popes have added short messages touching on different topics of the day. When a pope misses the weekly occasion – as Francis did earlier this year during his hospitalization – it makes global news. The Vatican announced Leo would deliver his first such prayer on Sunday, which is coincidentally Mother's Day in Italy and the United States, among other countries. The prayer to Mary The Angelus is the short prayer to Mary that many Catholics recite daily. Often prayed before Mass, but traditionally accompanied by the tolling of bells at dawn, midday and early evening, it references the moment when the Gospels say the Archangel Gabriel told Mary she would become the mother of God, and she accepted. 'Angelus' is Latin for angel, and the prayer's first verse is 'The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary.' The faithful then answer, 'And she conceived of the Holy Spirit,' followed by a Hail Mary and a few more verses and prayers. This 'annunciation' scene is so pivotal in Christian dogma that it's been represented by some of the most celebrated painters for centuries. Some artists have also portrayed the faithful reciting the Angelus, a practice that is believed to have started in the Middle Ages. During Eastertime – the current liturgical season, spanning 50 days from Easter Sunday to Pentecost – the prayer is substituted with another devotion to Mary, the Regina Coeli (also spelled Caeli, Latin for 'Queen of Heaven') that encourages rejoicing in Christ's resurrection. Memorable Sunday prayer moments Looking frail, St. John Paul II appeared at his hospital window for his last Angelus prayer less than three weeks before he died in 2005. He didn't speak, only blessing the crowd with an olive branch. An archbishop delivered his message, with the trademark exhortation to young people not to be afraid to follow Jesus. Tens of thousands of people packed St. Peter's Square when Pope Benedict XVI gave his final Sunday prayer in 2013 before becoming the first pope in 600 years to resign. They cheered him on as he reassured the faithful he wasn't abandoning the church, but rather turning to prayer because of his advancing age. At his first Angelus in 2013, Francis introduced a key motif of his papacy: mercy. 'A bit of mercy makes the world less cold and more just,' he told the crowd. More recently, Francis used the Sunday blessings to call for peace, especially in Ukraine and Gaza. But he also would close his blessings with the down-to-earth phrase, 'Have a good lunch." ___ Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP's collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
