Watch Pope Leo XIV’s first public address

Speaking from the Vatican balcony, as soon as he was discovered as the new Pontiff, Pope Leo XIV paid tribute to his predecessor and called for unity.

69-year-old Robert Pressee was elected after a two-day conclave in the Vatican City and is the first American to lead the Catholic Church.

“Help us and help each other to build bridges,” he told a crowd of more than 40,000 people on St. Peter’s Square.

Watch his speech entirely above.