Trending 
Ten months after his historic election, Pope Leo XIV has officially moved into the traditional papal apartments within the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace.
The 70-year-old pontiff, the first American to lead the Catholic Church, took possession of the residence on Saturday following nearly a year of extensive renovations.
Since his election in May 2025, Leo had remained in his previous cardinalatial residence at the Palace of the Holy Office while the historic palace was being updated for his arrival.
This move marks a significant return to tradition after his predecessor, the late Pope Francis, famously rejected the palace in favour of a modest suite in the Santa Marta guesthouse.
The Apostolic Palace suite is a sprawling residence that includes a private chapel, a library, and the iconic office window from which the Pope delivers the weekly Angelus prayer to crowds in St Peter’s Square.
Traditionalists have welcomed the move, seeing it as a restoration of the papacy’s formal dignity, which they felt had been diminished by Francis’s more casual lifestyle.
In addition to reclaiming the palace, Leo has also revived the use of the papal summer retreat at Castel Gandolfo.
Unlike Francis, who largely ignored the estate, the current Pope reportedly spends his Tuesdays there, balancing his administrative duties with physical activity like tennis and swimming.
Leo XIV’s return to these historic sites signals a shift towards a more classical expression of the papal office while maintaining an active personal routine.
