Originally published on 5/9/25

White smoke emerged from the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City on Thursday, May 8, signifying that the College of Cardinals conclave had officially reached a majority vote, selecting a new pope to take on the role of leader of the Catholic Church. Their decision was a historic one, as it is the first time an American has ever held the title. 

Originally from Chicago, Illinois, Robert Francis Prevost dedicated his life to spreading the word of the Lord all over the world. He is fluent in English, Spanish and Italian, and will serve the Catholic Church under the name Pope Leo XIV. Prior to being elected, he served as the Cardinal-Bishop of Albano and the President of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America. Pope Leo XIV is 69, and like all Popes, he is unmarried. 

Below, we have rounded up 30 of his most famous quotes showcasing his faith, political beliefs and hobbies. Scroll on for more. 

Pope Leo XIV quotes on religion 

Before becoming pope, Leo served as a priest, teacher and bishop in Peru for 20 years.  He served as Bishop of Chiclayo in 2014—appointed to the role by his predecessor, Pope Francis—and was later promoted to archbishop in 2023. Following that, Leo became a cardinal in 2024 and ran the office that selected and managed bishops worldwide. Below are his best quotes on his relationship with God and his views on the Catholic religion. 

• “It comes from God. God, who loves all of us, without any limits or conditions.” 
• “We are disciples of Christ, Christ goes before us, and the world needs his light. Humanity needs him like a bridge to reach God and his love.” 
• “This is the peace of the risen Christ, a disarming and humble and preserving peace.” 
• “God loves us, all of us, evil will not prevail. We are all in the hands of God. Without fear, united, hand in hand with God and among ourselves, we will go forward.” 
• “Our blessed Mother Mary always wants to walk with us, be close to us, she always wants to help us with her intercession and her love.” 
• “Peace be with you.” 
• “We have to look together how to be a missionary Church, building bridges, dialogue, always open to receiving with open arms for everyone, like this square, open to all, to all who need our charity, our presence, dialogue, love.” 
• “I am a son of Saint Augustine, an Augustinian. He said, ‘With you I am a Christian, for you a bishop.’  So may we all walk together towards that homeland that God has prepared for us.” 
• “This work demands that, above all, we stay by their side, seeking more effective ways for the pastors of the People of God to know that they are not alone.” 
• “To be a good shepherd means to be able to walk side-by-side with the People of God and to live close to them, not to be isolated.” 
• “When I think of St Augustine, his vision and understanding of what it means to belong to the Church, one of the first things that springs to mind is what he says about how you cannot say you are a follower of Christ without being part of the Church. Christ is part of the Church. He is the head.” 
• “Unity and communion are essential charisms of the life of the Order and a fundamental part of understanding what the Church is and what it means to be in it.” 
• “We must pray for that perseverance because none of us is exempt from difficult moments.” 
• “Do not be afraid to say yes. Do not be afraid to open your heart to the possibility that the Lord is calling you to religious life, or to Augustinian life, or to the priesthood, or to other forms of service in the Church.” 
• “We have to learn to embrace it and make it part of our life, to be strong. It is one of those gifts that builds over time, in the small trials at the beginning that help us to be stronger, to be able to carry the Cross when it becomes heavier. It helps us start to move forward, and then keeps us advancing.” 
• “A lack of faith is often tragically accompanied by the loss of meaning in life, the neglect of mercy, appalling violations of human dignity, the crisis of the family and so many other wounds that afflict our society.” 
• “The gift of friendship brings us back to Jesus himself. To have the ability to develop authentic friendships in life is beautiful. Without a doubt, friendship is one of the most wonderful gifts that God has given us.”

Pope Leo XIV political beliefs and thoughts on Pope Francis 

Before his death, Pope Francis made waves in the Catholic Church due to his more modern perspectives on gay marriage, immigration and diversity, among other progressive issues. Now that there is a new leader, people all over the world are wondering if Pope Leo XIV shares those same beliefs. Below are quotes highlighting where he stands on those issues, and how he really feels about following in Pope Francis’ footsteps. 

• “The priorities of pastoral work will always be different from one place to another, but recognising the great richness of diversity within the People of God is tremendously useful because it makes us more sensitive when it comes time to better reach out and respond to what they expect from us.” 
• “If we learn to live our faith better and learn to invite and include others in the life of the Church, especially the young, some vocations will still come to us.” 
• “Some misconstrue unity as uniformity: ‘You have to be the same as we are.’ No. This cannot be. Nor can diversity be understood as a way of living without criteria or order. The latter lose sight of the fact that from the very creation of the world, the gift of nature, the gift of human life, the gift of so many different things that we actually live and celebrate, cannot be sustained by making up our own rules and only doing things our way.” 
• “The bishop is not supposed to be a little prince sitting in his kingdom, but rather called authentically to be humble, to be close to the people he serves, to walk with them, to suffer with them, and to look for ways that he can better live the Gospel message in the midst of his people.” 
• “There are many different cultures, many different languages, many different circumstances around the world where the Church responds.” 
• “As long as, as Pope Francis says, they do not assume the role of the clergy and do not become clerical, and live their own baptismal vocation of what it means to be part of the Church, we begin to live with greater clarity.” 
• “Pope Francis has made this very clear on numerous occasions. He does not want bishops who live in palaces. He wants bishops who live in relationship with God, with their brother bishops, with priests and especially with the People of God in a way that reflects the compassion and love of Christ, creating community, learning to live what it means to be part of the Church in an integral way that necessitates a lot of listening and dialogue.” 
• “We have to be a church that works together to build bridges and to keep our arms open, like this very piazza, welcoming.” 
• “Gender ideology is confusing because it seeks to create genders that don’t exist.”
• “I enjoy relaxing with friends and meeting a broad range of different people. Different people can greatly enhance our lives.”
• “Thank you, Pope Francis!”

Pope Leo XIV opens up about his personal life 

Just because Leo’s the Pope doesn’t mean that he doesn’t have hobbies. Below, we found the best quotes showcasing what he likes to do outside of his religious responsibilities. 

• “I consider myself quite the amateur tennis player.” 
• “I also really enjoy reading, taking long walks, and traveling—seeing and enjoying new and diverse places.”

Pope Leo’s brother, John Prevost, also shared that they “do the Wordle because this is a regular thing. Then we do Words With Friends; it’s something to keep his mind off life in the real world.” The brother also shared that Leo had watched the film Conclave, before being elected. 

Link to original: https://www.womansworld.com/entertainment/celebrities/pope-leo-xiv-religion-politics-and-pope-francis-quotes