Pope Leo XIV moves into the Apostolic Palace, marking a symbolic return to tradition as his first anniversary as pontiff nears.
Newsroom (16/03/2026 Gaudium Press) Pope Leo XIV has officially taken up residence in the papal apartment of the Apostolic Palace, reinstating a custom that had remained dormant for more than a decade. The Vatican confirmed that the pontiff moved into the third-floor suite overlooking St. Peter’s Square on Saturday, a decision that marks both a practical transition and a powerful gesture of continuity as the first anniversary of his election approaches.
For twelve years, the apartment had remained vacant. Pope Francis, preferring a simpler lifestyle, chose to live at the Casa Santa Marta, the Vatican guesthouse. In practice, that arrangement reserved the second floor of Santa Marta exclusively for the pontiff, limiting the building’s capacity for visiting clergy. Leo XIV, however, from the beginning of his pontificate, has conveyed an intent to revive traditional forms associated with the Petrine ministry.
Accompanied by his closest collaborators, the 61-year-old pontiff now occupies the same space inhabited by many of his predecessors. The Apostolic Palace—long regarded as the nerve center of papal life—houses the papal apartment, ceremonial halls, and a small private chapel. Vatican officials noted that extensive renovations were required before the move, with crews updating outdated electrical, plumbing, and technical systems after years of disuse.
Leo XIV had initially remained in his modest apartment at the Palazzo del Sant’Uffizio, headquarters of the doctrinal dicastery, where he had lived since his time as a cardinal. Even after his election last May, he chose to stay there temporarily while restoration work progressed inside the Apostolic Palace. Witnesses around St. Peter’s Square in recent weeks noted increased activity around the papal wing as preparations neared completion.
The Vatican characterized the move as both logistical and deeply symbolic. The Pope formally took possession of the apartment shortly after his election, touring the reception halls and the small chapel designed for personal prayer. Yet his full relocation was delayed pending completion of the renovations.
Observers have largely interpreted Leo XIV’s decision as a reaffirmation of the papacy’s historical stature. Many Church commentators view the return to the Apostolic Palace as a signal of respect for institutional continuity—an emblem of the spiritual and administrative seat of the Holy See.
The papal apartment’s reoccupation now restores a visible and tangible connection to centuries of tradition centered in the heart of the Vatican. For Leo XIV, it also signals the beginning of a new phase in his pontificate—an era that seeks to balance renewal with reverence for the enduring symbols of the papal office.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from Infovaticana
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