In his first words, Leo XIV announced and wished for the peace and light of Christ. 

As the Second Vatican Council proclaimed, Christ is the "light of the nations"(lumen gentium), the mediator of salvation for each and every one, the path that God has traveled in what we call God's "condescension": his approach to show us his mercy.

Humanity," said the new Pope in a reference letter to Christ, "needs him as a bridge to be reached by God and his love. Christ is "the bridge". Since December 12, 2012, the pope's Twitter account (then X) is @pontifex. Pontiff means bridge-maker or bridge-builder.
To the disciples of Christ, Leo XIV has order financial aid and invited them to "build bridges, through dialogue and meeting, uniting us all to be one people, always in peace". 

Artificial intelligence points out some keys to build bridges: study of the terrain and needs (geotechnical analysis, environment and function); structural design subject of bridge; beam, arch, suspension, etc., depending on length and use); Materials (steel, concrete, wood, etc., depending on strength, cost and environment); foundations (pillars and firm supports on the ground or river bed); assembly of the structure (deck, arches, cables, etc.); finishes and safety (paving, railings, signage, load testing).

Examining all this will take a lot of time, now as a horizon and then as the task of a pontificate. 

If we think of our bridges, the ones we are called to build, the analogy can be quite useful as a guide for discernment and staff examination: we need the knowledge of our environment, also of ourselves and our "materials", and the reinforcement and vigilance of the foundations and Structures.

In 1970 the American duo Simon and Garfunkel released their fifth and last graduate album "Bridge Over Troubled Water", one of the best-selling albums of all time (more than 25 million copies), centered on the song of the same degree scroll, inspired by gospel music.
However, at the same time, the album signaled the separation of the two singers.

In the troubled waters of our world, we still need bridges that unite without separating. That is what is expected of a bridge.

The papal name Leo evokes especially two pontiffs. Saint Leo the Great (pope between 440 and 461 and doctor of the Church) was the pope of the Council of Chalcedon (451). He prevented the sack of Rome by Attila and ensured that the Vandals of Genseric respected the life of the Romans and that the city was not burned. 

Secondly, Leo XIII (Roman pontiff between 1878 and 1903), was another of those bridges, at a time of turbulence between the Catholic Church and the liberal State. He wrote no less than 85 encyclicals. In them, he promoted, among other topics, the biblical programs of study (Providentissimus Deus, 1893) and the renewal of Thomism(Aeterni Patris, 1879), and set the instructions for the social doctrine of the Church(Rerum novarum, 1891). His ecumenical application was also evident, especially with the Orthodox and Anglicans. 

The current Pope and Bishop of Rome, Leo XIV, has European and African family roots. American by birth (Chicago) and Peruvian by adoption (bishop of Chiclayo for eight years), he holds a doctorate in Canon Law. He has held important positions in the Augustinian Order (he was Prior General for twelve years) and is the first pope of that Order. Since 2023 he was Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, as well as President of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America. 

The motto of his episcopal coat of arms is "In illo uno unum", which can be translated: in that one (Christ) (we are) one. It is an expression of St. Augustine, in his exhibition on Psalm 127: although we Christians are many, in the one Christ we are one.

In concluding his first words, the new pope said: "We want to be a synodal Church, a Church that walks, a Church that always seeks peace, that always seeks charity, that always seeks to be close, especially to those who suffer.

Therefore, his message can be summarized as follows: from the peace of Christ and unity with him, the Church continues to walk in order to carry out her mission statement, which is a mission statement of love, especially towards those who suffer. In Christian terms, this means building bridges, each one of us from our own place, also in our ordinary life, in our families, in our work, in our friendships, in our joys and sorrows. 

This is so because we have faith that we are united in the Risen One, of whom every pontiff, and more broadly every Christian is, must be, a living icon. 

We can conclude with St. Ephrem, a fourth-century Syrian deacon and doctor of the Church, in thanksgiving for the new pope and praising Christ: "To you be the glory, who placed your cross as a bridge over death, so that through it souls might pass from the region of the dead to the religion of life"(Sermon on our Lord, 9).