By Alyssa Murphy
From weeping tears of joy to blessing babies from aboard the popemobile, here are five of the blessed moments we have witnessed thus far in this Leonine papacy.
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Last Saturday marks a special anniversary for Pope Leo XIV: 100 days as successor of St. Peter, but the date may be more significant for Catholics across the globe who have been moved by this American-born Pope who always seems to be speaking with a smile.
From his inaugural Mass to the moving moments of 1 million youth kneeling in adoration during the Jubilee of Youth; from weeping tears of joy to blessing babies from aboard the popemobile, here are five of the blessed moments we have witnessed thus far in this Leonine papacy.
1. Pope Leo was moved to tears when Cardinal Luis Tagle presented the fisherman’s ring.
Occurring just moments before the new Pontiff delivered his homily as the Vicar of Christ, Pope Leo XIV was visibly emotional; he seemed to be holding back tears as the symbol of the Petrine office was placed on his finger.
Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization, presented the ring, and the two prelates spoke briefly; most viewers noticed the utter catharsis that Pope Leo had upon accepting it.
2. The Windy City native spoke to the masses gathered at a Chicago baseball stadium.
Catholics came from all over the country to witness the papal address to the faithful gathered in his hometown. Addressing thousands assembled at Rate Field — home of the Chicago White Sox baseball team, his favorite team — via video, the Pope reminded the faithful that we are “beacons of hope.”
“In this Jubilee Year of Hope, Christ, who is our hope, indeed calls all of us to come together, that we might be that true living example: the light of hope in the world today.”
The Pope also broke the internet just by casually putting on a White Sox cap. Never has a summer been so filled with stories about America’s greatest pastime, all with a papal flair!
3. Leo shared precious marriage advice to a young couple celebrating their nuptials in St. Peter’s Square.
Everyone loves a June wedding: Newlyweds Cole and Anna Stevens received Pope Leo’s blessing for their marriage during one of the Pope’s first general audiences under the hot Roman summer sun on June 11, just four days after their wedding at the Cathedral of St. Paul in Birmingham, Alabama.
Highlighting the love he had witnessed between his mother and father, Pope Leo shared:
“My parents prayed the Rosary together their whole lives every day. I found that I was always blessed by their love for one another and their faith in God. … It’s a wonderful thing.”
4. The pizza-loving Pope paused for a Chicago-style delivery in St. Peter’s Square.
In a viral video that captures the full story of an extremely long pizza commute to the Vatican, the story of Pope Leo receiving a Chicago-style pie from his favorite pizza place is still making waves, or sauce stains.
The Pope lit up when he saw a sign in St. Peter’s Square that read: “We have Aurelio’s pizza.”
Aurelio’s Pizza is a Chicago staple. It was the perfect way to capture the attention of the Chicago-native Pontiff!
“He lit up when he saw the logo,” Madeline Daley, who helped arrange the long-distance pizza delivery, told ChurchPOP.
After giving a thumbs-up, Pope Leo XIV mobilized to bring the box aboard the popemobile.
Chicago’s WGN reported that the Pope did, in fact, enjoy the pizza, a 6-inch pepperoni pie, according to his brother John.
5. A hopeful Pope gazed down from the papal plane at the throngs gathered for the Jubilee of Youth vigil.
This photo went viral the second it was shared on social media. The “Pope Leo generation from above” gathered, awaiting the papal arrival. The photograph capturing the look of love on the face of the Holy Father for the sea of young people from the skies is an iconic photo that will be remembered for years to come.
BONUS: He has a beautiful style of blessing babies:
And his Marian devotion is beautiful to witness too:
Thank you for being our shepherd, Pope Leo. We love you and pray for you as you continue to point us to Christ!
This article was originally published by NCRegister.
