‘With you I am Roman’: reviving tradition, Pontiff receives homage of Rome’s mayor
May 26, 2025
Before taking possession of his cathedral, the Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran, Pope Leo XIV received the homage of Mayor Roberto Gualtieri and the city of Rome in the Piazza d’Aracoeli—and in doing so, revived a practice that last took place in 1963.
“In officially beginning the ministry of Pastor of this Diocese, I feel the serious but passionate responsibility to serve all its members, having at heart first of all the faith of the people of God, and therefore the common good of society,” the Pontiff said, “For this last purpose we are collaborators, each in our own institutional sphere. Immediately after the election, I reminded the brothers and sisters gathered in St. Peter’s Square that with them, I am a Christian, and for them, a bishop: in a special capacity, today I can say that for you and with you I am Roman!”
Pope Leo concluded:
I hope that Rome, unparalleled for the richness of its historical and artistic heritage, will always stand out also for those values of humanity and civilization that draw their lifeblood from the Gospel. With these sentiments, I impart the Apostolic Blessing on this City and all its inhabitants.
During his address, Pope Leo expressed “deep gratitude” to the city’s government for its commitment to pilgrims during the 2025 jubilee year. The Pontiff’s words echo his predecessor’s 2024 year-end homily, in which he thanked the city’s mayor for “moving the city forward” through construction projects—and stand in contrast to Pope Francis’s 2023 year-end homily, in which he publicly criticized Rome, with the mayor in attendance, for its deficient functionality.
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