“It is with great joy that I extend my warmest congratulations to His Holiness, Pope Leo XIV, on his election as Supreme Pontiff and Successor of Saint Peter. As our new Holy Father, Pope Leo becomes our spiritual leader, and shepherd of the Universal Church. At the National Shrine, the sacred liturgy is at the heart of our mission, and at all our Masses, we now pray for ‘Leo our Pope.’
As America’s patronal church, we are delighted that Pope Leo is from the United States. However, his Petrine Ministry is worldwide and therefore, we rejoice with the entire world that we now have a new Holy Father.
As Pope Leo began his papacy invoking the assistance of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception place Pope Leo XIV and his papacy in the care of Mary Immaculate.”
ABOUT THE BASILICA
The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception is the largest Roman Catholic church in North America, and it is among the ten largest churches in the world. Dedicated to the patroness of the United States, the Blessed Virgin Mary under her title of the Immaculate Conception, the Basilica is the nation’s preeminent Marian shrine and patronal church and has been designated a national sanctuary of prayer and pilgrimage. Among those who have visited the National Shrine during its 100+ year history are Pope Francis, Pope Benedict XVI, Saint Pope John Paul II, and Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta.