He was emotional.

His first words were: “Peace be with you.”

We don’t know what Pope Leo XIV will ultimately be remembered for, but this is how he began. Amidst the cheers coming from below, he stood on the balcony overlooking St. Peter’s Square and he transmitted that he loved Jesus and cared for humanity. Perhaps his emotion was rooted in disbelief that he was named pope. One can imagine that his tears were also those of joy, as he stared at the vigor of the faithful multitude below. 

This historic moment of joy was viewed by millions of people around the world as it unfolded. As people from all over the globe tuned in to hear his message, the calm Pope evoked comfort and faith through his demeanor and words. 

Leo explained his reasoning for choosing these as his first words. These are also the first words of Jesus to his disciples in the Upper Room on the evening of that first Easter Sunday. “This is the peace of the Risen Christ, a disarming and humble and preserving peace. It comes from God. God, who loves all of us, without any limits or conditions.”

Throughout his words, he said the word “peace” nine times. 

If we consider the state of the disciples when Jesus entered that room, we can catch a deeper glimpse into the intention of the Pope using these as his first words. The apostles were scared. They were afraid for their lives. They were also probably ashamed for how they abandoned Jesus in his time of need. They were uncertain about the future and how they should proceed with living their lives.

Inside of that context, Jesus arrives in the locked Upper Room and says, “Peace be with you.” Leo XIV noted that “evil will not prevail” and said the world needs the light of Christ. This is a fact, because just like those apostles in that Upper Room, our world is hurting. People are scared about what the future holds for them. Whether it be wars, financial problems, illness or a fear about the culture, we all worry about something.

Through our own sin and simply through the sufferings of the human condition, we are in need of the peace of Christ. Leo XIV’s insight into the human condition is inspiring. His opening words as pontiff could have centered on anything. However, he desired to transmit that Jesus truly and continuously offers us the peace (the total well-being that only God can give) that we need.

The emotion of our current Pope seeing the crowd in front of him and the choice of words centered on peace can easily be connected to his namesake: Pope Leo XIII. Leo XIII was responsible for launching modern Catholic social teaching, focusing on the plight of workers and vocalizing the need to protect the dignity of all human beings, especially those who were hurting. 

As we continue to learn more about our new Pope, we can expect to see more care for humanity and more explicit focus on the Person of Jesus Christ. His opening words were just the beginning. To all those who are hurting, Leo XIV desires you to know that you are not alone — Jesus is with you.