Pope Leo XIV on Saturday officially moved into his apartments in the Apostolic Palace at the Vatican City, ten months after his election as leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics.
In a statement, the The Vatican confirmed that the pontiff had taken possession of the historic papal residence along with his closest collaborators.
“This afternoon, Pope Leo XIV will take possession of the apartment in the Apostolic Palace, moving, with his closest collaborators, into the spaces previously used by his predecessors,” the statement said.
The move comes after the apartments underwent extensive renovations, having been left unused during the papacy of Pope Francis.
Since his election on May 8, 2025, Leo — the first pope from the United States — had been staying at the Palace of the Holy Office near the Vatican, where he had lived previously as a cardinal.
The papal apartment inside the Apostolic Palace includes bedrooms, a chapel, a library, offices, a dining room, and a room from which the pope delivers the Angelus prayer every Sunday, addressing crowds gathered in St Peter’s Square.
His decision marks a return to tradition after Francis broke with centuries of custom by choosing to live in the simpler residence of the Domus Sanctae Marthae guesthouse following his election in 2013.
Francis’s decision to reject the grand papal apartments was widely praised by supporters who saw it as a symbol of humility and simplicity. However, some conservative critics argued that the move diminished the ceremonial symbolism associated with the papacy.
The Apostolic Palace sits at the heart of the Vatican and also houses key institutions such as the Sistine Chapel and the Vatican Apostolic Library, as well as offices of the Secretariat of State of the Holy See.
Leo has also revived another long-standing papal tradition by returning to the summer residence at Castel Gandolfo outside Rome, which Francis chose not to use during his pontificate.
According to the Vatican, the pope now spends most Tuesdays at the lakeside estate, combining work with leisure activities such as tennis and swimming.
