Sometimes, a single word can stir the world.
That’s what happened when Pope Leo XIV — the first American-born pontiff — stood before a crowd of reporters at the Vatican and spoke a message as brief as it was bewildering.
It was May 12, 2025, just days after his election. The Vatican press hall overflowed with journalists from every continent, waiting to hear from the 69-year-old former Cardinal Robert Prevost, now the 268th leader of the Catholic Church. Cameras flashed. Translators leaned forward. Pens hovered.
Then a reporter called out:
“Holy Father, do you have a message for the United States?”
The new pope smiled gently, paused, and said a single word:
“Many.”