The furnishings and minutiae of Pope Leo XIV’s pontificate are being rolled out in the days following his election.
These small details offer a glimpse into the tastes, preferences, and even theological focuses of the first-ever American successor to St. Peter.
The Vatican released the Bishop of Rome’s official coat of arms on Saturday. It depicts an upper portion marked with a fleur-de-lis and a lower half decorated with a burning heart, pierced by an arrow, set atop of a Bible.
This composition is the same as the coat of arms he carried as a bishop and cardinal, but the shield has now been decorated with symbols of his new office.
The Keys to the Kingdom of Heaven — one gold, one silver — cross behind the shield. They are tied together by a red rope. Atop the entire composition, he has chosen to continue recent popes’ decision to forego the papal tiara — the traditional crown of the papacy — for a gold and silver bishop’s mitre.
Underneath the shield is his motto: “In Illo uno unum” (Latin: “In the One [God], we are one.”)
What might seem like a jumble of vague imagery actually shows a remarkable devotion to the theology of the Order of Saint Augustine, of which he is a member.
For example, the burning heart pierced by an arrow is a reference to St. Augustine of Hippo, who said to God following his conversion: “You have pierced my heart with your Word.”
His motto also comes from St. Augustine, who preached God as the ultimate unifying force across all races and nations.
Then-Cardinal Robert Prevost previously explained his motto in a 2023 interview with Vatican News.
“As can be seen from my episcopal motto, unity and communion are truly part of the charism of the Order of Saint Augustine, and also of my way of acting and thinking,” he said.
He continued, “I believe it is very important to promote communion in the Church, and we know well that communion, participation, and mission are the three key words of the Synod. So, as an Augustinian, for me promoting unity and communion is fundamental.”
The Office for the Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff also published its first official portrait of Leo XIV, depicting him in the cassock, mozzetta, and stole he wore just prior to appearing on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica for the first time.
The portrait is signed Leone P.P. XIV, the pope’s name in Latin. The additional “P.P.” stands for “Pastor Pastorum,” Latin for “Shepherd of Shepherds” — one of the many titles of honor accorded to the office.
Leo XIV’s other aesthetic decisions have also drawn attention.
POPE LEO XIV REVEALS PAPAL NAME IS RESPONSE TO WORLD’S DIGITAL REVOLUTION, ARTIFICAL INTELLIGENCE
At his first Mass as pope on Thursday morning, he carried a gold ferula that was originally gifted to Pope Benedict.
He will also reportedly be moving into the Apostolic Palace, a sprawling residence immediately next to St. Peter’s Basilica and decorated with centuries worth of fine art and sculpture. Pope Francis chose to only work and give addresses from the palace, instead residing in a more modest guest room.
