Pope Leo Xiv New Residence — pope leo xiv new residence: After renovation, Leo XIV moves into Apostolic Palace
pope leo xiv new residence marks the pontiff’s move into the renovated papal apartment in the Apostolic Palace, where he has taken possession of rooms long used by his predecessors.
Pope Leo Xiv New Residence: What Happens When the Papal Apartment Is Reoccupied?
Matteo Bruni, Director of the Holy See Press Office, confirmed that Pope Leo XIV has moved, with some of his closest collaborators, into the apartment in the Third Loggia of the Apostolic Palace. The apartment had been renovated before the move and includes a private study used for the Angelus window, a library and a small chapel. The rooms also contain bedrooms, a vestibule, an office and a dining room.
The Pope previously lived in the Vatican’s Palazzo del Sant’Uffizio while serving as Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops and had stayed at the Palace of the Holy Office during an earlier period. Seals that had been placed on the door of the papal apartment following the death of Pope Francis were removed by Leo XIV. Saint Pius X was the first Pope to reside in the Third Loggia rooms.
What If This Reverses the Recent Practice of Living Outside the Papal Apartments?
Pope Francis had chosen to live at Casa Santa Marta rather than in the Apostolic Palace, a decision that led to the papal apartments being left unused and later requiring extensive renovation. The reoccupation by Leo XIV represents a return to the historic use of the Third Loggia rooms. The apartment provides the physical settings for traditional papal functions, including the window from which the Angelus is recited overlooking St. Peter’s Square.
Leo XIV has also resumed use of the papal summer residence at Castel Gandolfo, a location his predecessor declined to use. He spends time there alongside his official duties.
What Should the Church Expect Next?
The Pope’s move into the Apostolic Palace completes the immediate logistical step of taking possession of the renovated apartment in the Third Loggia and restores rooms long associated with papal residence and ritual. Readers should anticipate that the physical features of the apartment — the private study with the Angelus window, the chapel and the library — will again serve as settings for papal presence and occasional public gestures.
Matteo Bruni’s confirmation of the move and the removal of seals previously placed on the apartment’s door are the concrete developments recorded around this change of residence. The reoccupation of the Apostolic Palace by Pope Leo XIV is a clear restoration of the traditional papal apartment within Vatican spaces.
