Pope Leo XIV’s First Year: 5 Defining Moments

Did you know that May 8 marks the one-year anniversary of Pope Leo XIV’s election? Last spring, he made history by becoming the first pontiff born in the United States and the first Augustinian pope. And in his first year, he’s demonstrated how unity, cooperation, and a spirit of joy are setting the tone for a unique papacy.

As we celebrate the anniversary of Pope Leo’s election this week, we invite you to learn about five defining moments from the first year of his papacy.

1. He became the first pope to pray with a British monarch since the Reformation.

Pope Leo made history after he invited the British King Charles III to the Vatican for an ecumenical service. Not only did the two leaders pray together, but they gave each other gifts and titles of honor, exemplifying the unwavering commitment to cooperation that has come to define Pope Leo’s papacy. According to the USCCB:

“The king conferred on the pope the ‘Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath,’ which traditionally is given to heads of state, and the pope conferred on the king the ‘Knight Grand Cross with Collar of the Vatican Order of Pope Pius IX.’”

2. He issued his first apostolic exhortation, Dilexi Te.

Following the foundation of Pope Francis’ fourth encyclical, Dilexit Nos, Pope Leo issued Dilexi Te, reminding us of Jesus’ great love for the poor, suffering, and underprivileged, and inviting us to practice that love in our own lives. By caring for those the world considers the “least of these,” he relates, we can step into the unifying power of love. As Pope Leo’s first apostolic exhortation, Dilexi Te has served as a thematic cornerstone for his papacy, emphasizing the importance of unity.

3. He canonized the first millennial Saint.

On September 7, 2025, Pope Leo canonized Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati in front of an estimated crowd of 80,000 people in St. Peter’s Square. Carlo Acutis, who died of leukemia in 2006 at age 15, was known for his deep devotion to the Eucharist and for creating a website dedicated to Eucharistic miracles and Marian devotion. In his homily at the canonization Mass, Pope Leo recalled, “Carlo used to say: ‘In front of the sun, you get a tan. In front of the Eucharist, you become a saint!'”

In addition to Acutis and Frassati, Pope Leo canonized seven other individuals in October 2025, bringing the total number of saints declared during his pontificate to nine.

4. He became the first pope to wear a Chicago White Sox cap in public.

At one of his weekly general audiences last June, Pope Leo made history in one of the most unusual ways yet – breaking the papal dress code by pairing his cassocks with a Chicago White Sox cap! The move not only highlighted his roots as a Chicagoan, but the spirit of play and relatability unique to his papacy.

5. He made his first apostolic journey to Turkey on the 1,700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea.

As Christians around the world celebrated the 1,700^th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea, Pope Leo visited the very spot where the council was held in Iznik, Turkey. The pilgrimage was Pope Leo’s first apostolic journey, reinforcing his emphases of unity and cooperation through both his message and his meeting with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, “the spiritual leader of the world’s Eastern Orthodox Christians.” By the ruins outside Lake Iznik, the two men prayed together in anticipation of their joint declaration on unity, and Pope Leo spoke of the need for peace.

It’s been exciting to see all that Pope Leo has accomplished so far, and as he begins the second year of his papacy, we pray that God will continue to guide him in the days ahead. If you’re interested in learning more, we invite you to read our “5 Things to Know About Pope Leo XIV” post.