Jerusalem, May 22, 2025 — In joyful thanksgiving for the election of Pope Leo XIV, the Diocese of Jerusalem gathered at the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre for a solemn Mass celebrated in front of the Aedicule — the site of Christ’s Resurrection. His Beatitude Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, presided over the liturgy, joined by bishops, priests, religious, and a large assembly of local faithful and pilgrims.
Archbishop Adolfo Tito Yllana, Apostolic Nuncio to the Holy Land, delivered the homily, extending heartfelt congratulations to the Holy Father on behalf of the Church in the region. He praised the Pope’s spiritual depth, pastoral zeal, and commitment to unity, highlighting his chosen motto: “We are all one in the One” — a call to build communion, fraternity, and peace within the Church and across the world.
In a moving moment during his own inauguration Mass in Rome, Pope Leo XIV has called upon the faithful to embody the sacrificial love of Christ and to become “a leaven of harmony for humanity,” especially in these challenging times.
Following the Eucharist, a reception was held at the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, where clergy and faithful came together in prayerful celebration, reaffirming their spiritual communion with the Apostolic See and their support for Pope Leo XIV’s mission.
This sacred liturgy served as a public reaffirmation of the local Church’s spiritual communion with the Apostolic See and its filial devotion to the Holy Father. As the Church enters a new chapter under the leadership of Pope Leo XIV, the faithful in the Holy Land join in prayer through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, asking the Lord to bless the new Pontificate with grace, wisdom, and a deepened witness to the Gospel.
Photo Credit: LB || CTS
