Papal Transition Highlights - OnMissionMedia.com

6/22 Pope Leo XIV leads Corpus Christi procession through the streets of Rome

Pope Leo XIV looks at the Blessed Sacrament in the monstrance as he leads Benediction outside Rome’s Basilica of St. Mary Major after a Corpus Christi procession from the Basilica of St. John Lateran June 22, 2025. (CNS photo/Vatican Media)

From CNS/Cindy Wooden, June 22, 2025

In carrying Jesus through the city streets in a Corpus Christi procession, Christians are called to be witnesses of his love, sharing both their material and spiritual gifts, Pope Leo XIV said.
A procession with the Eucharist is a way to present Jesus “to the hearts of those who believe, so that they may believe more firmly” and “to the hearts of those who do not believe, so that they may reflect on the hunger present within them and the bread that alone can satisfy it,” the pope said in his homily June 22.
Pope Leo celebrated an early evening Mass outside Rome’s Basilica of St. John Lateran for the feast of the Body and Blood of the Lord before joining thousands of people — including children who had recently received their first Communion — for the Corpus Christi procession to the Basilica of St. Mary Major, about a mile away.
Pope Leo carried the monstrance with the consecrated host under a golden canopy held by eight members of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem. When he reached the Marian basilica about 45 minutes later, he presided over Benediction.
The Gospel reading for the Mass was St. Luke’s account of Jesus multiplying five loaves of bread and two fish to feed a crowd of thousands.
“Jesus multiplies the loaves and the fish by sharing what is available. As a result, there is enough for everyone,” Pope Leo said. “In fact, more than enough. After all had eaten their fill 12 baskets-full were gathered up.”
“Especially in this Jubilee Year” he said, “the Lord’s example is a yardstick that should guide our actions and our service: we are called to share our bread, to multiply hope and to proclaim the coming of God’s kingdom.”
In the Corpus Christi procession, the pope said, all those involved give witness to how Jesus’ real presence in the Eucharist transforms them and leads them to become his body, united in the church.

6/13 Pope sets date for joint canonization of Blesseds Acutis and Frassati

Anne-Sophie, a mother from France, prays at the tomb of Blessed Carlo Acutis in the Church of St. Mary Major in Assisi, Italy, April 1, 2025. (CNS photo/Justin McLellan)

From CNS/Justin McLellan, June 13, 2025

Italian Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati was a struggling student who excelled in mountain climbing. He died at age 24 and was beatified by St. John Paul II in 1990. He is pictured in an undated photo. (CNS file photo)

Pope Leo XIV will canonize Blesseds Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati together Sept. 7, the Vatican announced.
Meeting with cardinals living in and visiting Rome for an ordinary public consistory June 13, the pope approved the new canonization date for the two young blesseds and set Oct. 19 as the date for the canonization of seven others. He announced the dates in Latin.
The canonization of Blessed Acutis, a teenager known for his devotion to the Eucharist and creating an online exhibition of Eucharistic miracles, had originally been scheduled for April 27 during the Jubilee of Teenagers. It was postponed following the death of Pope Francis April 21.
Born in 1991 and raised in Milan, Blessed Acutis used his tech skills to evangelize and was noted for his joyful faith and compassion for others before dying of leukemia in 2006 at age 15.
Blessed Frassati, born in 1901 into a prominent family in Turin, Italy, was admired for his deep spirituality, love for the poor and enthusiasm for life.
A member of the Dominican Third Order, he served the sick through the St. Vincent de Paul Society.
He died at age 24 after contracting polio, possibly from one of the people he assisted.
The two Italian laymen will be the first saints proclaimed by the new pope, who was elected May 8.

5/21 Pope Leo XIV’s June Liturgical Calendar

Deacons hold palliums — woolen bands worn by metropolitan archbishops to symbolize their authority and unity with the pope — during Mass for the feast of SS. Peter and Paul in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican June 29, 2024. (CNS photo/Lola Gomez)

From CNS/Cindy Wooden, May 21, 2025:

At the end of the month, the pope will preside over Mass for the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul, the patron saints of the Vatican, and will bless palliums — woolen stoles — to be given to archbishops who have been named to new archdioceses in the past year. They include at least seven from the United States.
The heads of U.S. archdioceses who are due to receive palliums include: Cardinal Robert W. McElroy of Washington; Archbishop W. Shawn McKnight of Kansas City, Kansas; Archbishop Michael G. McGovern of Omaha, Nebraska; Archbishop Robert G. Casey of Cincinnati; Archbishop Joe S. Vásquez of Galveston-Houston; Archbishop Jeffrey S. Grob of Milwaukee; and Archbishop Richard G. Henning of Boston.
June 1, Mass in St. Peter’s Square for the Jubilee of Families, Children, Grandparents and the Elderly.
June 8, Mass in St. Peter’s Square for Pentecost and the Jubilee of Ecclesial Movements, Associations and New Communities.
June 9, Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica for the feast of Mary, Mother of the Church, and the Jubilee of the Holy See.
June 13, a public consistory of cardinals to vote on canonizing some sainthood candidates.
June 15, Mass in St. Peter’s Square on the feast of the Holy Trinity and the Jubilee of Sport.
June 22, evening Mass at Rome’s Basilica of St. John Lateran on the feast of the Body and Blood of Christ, followed by a Corpus Christi procession to the Basilica of St. Mary Major.
June 27, Mass in St. Peter’s Square on the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Jubilee of Priests.

Catholic News Service (CNA) is the news agency of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

5/15 Habemus Papam: Pope Leo XIV election announcement

Pope Leo XIV, the former Cardinal Robert F. Prevost, waves to the crowds in St. Peter’s Square after his election. (CNS photo/Lola Gomez)

The former Cardinal Robert F. Provost was born in Chicago, and was elected the 268th pope on May 8, 2025, about three weeks after the death of Pope Francis.
Pope Leo XIV is the first American pope.
He served in Peru in the late 1980s and in the ’90s as a priest before being appointed bishop of the Diocese of Chiclayo, Peru, in 2015.
Following the appearance of white smoke from the Sistine Chapel, the announcement was made on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica by Cardinal Dominique Mamberti in Latin: “Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum: Habemus Papam (“I announce to you a great joy: We have a pope!”).
After appearing on the balcony, Pope Leo XIV’s first words to the world, spoken in Italian, were: “Peace be with all of you.”

Read more about Pope Leo XIV’s background and the Diocese of Green Bay’s reaction to this historical moment here: https://onmiss.io/firstamericanpope

5/8 The Conclave: Cardinals from around the world gathered in Rome

From FAITH Catholic/FAITH Catholic Staff, May 8, 2025:

The largest-ever conclave that elected Pope Leo lasted just over 24 hours and consisted of 133 cardinals.
Only members of the College of Cardinals who are under the age of 80 are allowed to vote.
The College of Cardinals now includes men from countries who never before had a voice in a papal election.
Diversity in the Church was important to Pope Francis, and he made sure this was reflected in the men he appointed as cardinals during the 12 years of his pontificate.
The cardinals were sequestered in the Sistine Chapel under the frescos created by Michelangelo 500 years ago during the conclave.
A two-thirds majority was reached on the third vote taken by the cardinals, following the first vote on Wednesday evening and the second vote on Thursday morning.

FAITH Catholic is a nonprofit corporation sponsored by the Catholic Diocese of Lansing established to serve the Church with publishing, website and digital services.

4/29 The death and burial of Pope Francis

Photo by Dipartimento della Protezione Civile from Roma, Italia, CC BY 2.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

From FAITH Catholic/FAITH Catholic Staff, April 29, 2025:

Pope Francis died on April 21 after appearing on Easter Sunday to give the Urbi et Orbi blessing and ride in the popemobile to greet the faithful in St. Peter’s Square gathered for Easter.
More than 250,000 people filled St. Peter’s Square on Saturday, April 26, to celebrate the life of Pope Francis.
His Reverend Eminence Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, Dean of the College of Cardinals, presided over the funeral liturgy at 10 a.m. which was attended by more than 200 cardinals and 750 bishops and priests, more than 50 heads of state, foreign delegations from more than 130 countries, and 4,000 journalists.
At his request, Pope Francis was buried in a simple wooden casket.
At the conclusion of the Mass, his coffin was placed on the popemobile and transported through the streets of Rome, which were lined with mourners, to the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore.
There he was buried in a simple tomb, bearing only his name: Franciscus.
Near the tomb is an icon of the Virgin Mary to which he was greatly devoted: Salus Populi Romani, or The Protectress of the Roman People. It is one of the oldest Marian images in existence and he visited the image 126 times during his papacy.