Pope Leo XIV has officially hard launched his papacy. The new pontiff, 69-year-old Chicago native Robert Prevost, shared a message on Wednesday from the official @Pontifex account on X for the first time since being named the new head of the Catholic Church. The handle was first launched in 2012 during the pontificate of Pope Benedict XVI.

Pope Leo XIV has taken over the Vatican’s official social media handles. VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Leo XIV has taken over the Vatican’s official social media handles, with a first Instagram post on Tuesday repeating the first words he said to the world as pope: “Peace be with you all!”

Pope Leo XIV holds his first general audience in St. Peter’s Square on Wednesday, issuing an appeal for Gaza, which he calls an “increasingly worrying and painful” situation, harming children, elderly, and the sick in particular.