Habemus Papam! As our new Holy Father and 267th pontiff, Pope Leo XIV, greeted the peoples of the world from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica on May 8, 2025, he shared a message of peace to all and, as University President Peter Kilpatrick noted, “he reminded us to be bridge-builders, instruments of peace and love.”
Pope Leo begins his pontificate with the world watching for indications of which of the Church’s needs he will emphasize and the areas in which he will seek continuity with—and possibly divergence from—his immediate predecessors.
"What a wonderful moment to be able to say that The Catholic University of America, established with the authorization of Pope Leo XIII, now enthusiastically congratulates and prays for our new Roman Pontiff, Pope Leo XIV,” said Monsignor Ronny Jenkins, S.T.L., J.C.D., dean of the University’s School of Canon Law.
One priority of recent pontificates that Pope Leo almost undoubtedly will maintain is worldwide travel to pray with, exhort, and comfort not only his Catholic flock, but all people. In fact, as modern aviation made global travel practical, worldwide papal visits became a high-profile part of the papacy of our three most recent popes, St. John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI, and Pope Francis.
While a papal visit to the United States is unlikely to happen in the immediate future, The Catholic University of America would be an ideal stop on a papal visit to the U.S., given the University’s direct connection to the Vatican and its rich history of papal visits. All three of Pope Leo’s immediate predecessors visited Catholic University during their pontificates: Pope Francis in 2015, Pope Benedict XVI in 2008, and St. John Paul II in 1980.
“The Catholic University of America, founded by the American bishops and the only American university with three ecclesiastical faculties, has had the unique opportunity to welcome three popes to its campus,” said Monsignor Jenkins. “This gives witness to the close relationship between the university and the Holy See, something that will certainly continue and strengthen in the years ahead with Pope Leo as our Supreme Pontiff."
University’s location in Washington, D.C., is also an important factor in having been selected to host previous papal visits. The fact that the Church in DC is so diverse culturally and that this is the nation’s capital also played an important role in the selection of the previous papal visit sites.
Founded by the American bishops, Catholic University remains dedicated to our sacred responsibility to uphold the traditions and teachings of the Church, which we do by advancing the dialogue between faith and reason among our students and scholars. We look with joyful anticipation to a day in this papacy when we can welcome Pope Leo to campus to witness this fruitful dialogue, as his three immediate predecessors have.
