Pope Leo XIV will share the papal apartments in the Apostolic Palace with a select group of individuals when he moves in later this year.
Newsroom (21/08/2025, Gaudium Press ) Pope Leo XIV will share the papal apartments in the Apostolic Palace with a select group of individuals when he moves in later this year, Italian media reported, marking a historic departure from modern Vatican tradition.
The pontiff, elected earlier this year, announced shortly after his election that he would reside in the 16th-century Apostolic Palace, diverging from the precedent set by his predecessor, Pope Francis, who opted for the modest Santa Marta residence in 2013. According to La Repubblica, the 10-room papal apartment is undergoing extensive renovations to accommodate Pope Leo and three or four companions, including his Peruvian personal secretary, Father Edgard Rimaycuna.
The Daily Telegraph reports that this arrangement, described as akin to having “flatmates,” appears to be unprecedented in the modern era. “It seems to be new to me,” Vatican correspondent Iacopo Scaramuzzi told the Telegraph. “I don’t know if that takes account of the long history of the Church, but certainly in the modern era.”
The Apostolic Palace has served as the official residence of popes since 1870, though Pope Francis famously declined its luxurious accommodations, citing a preference for daily interaction with ordinary people. Following Francis’s death on April 21, 2025, Vatican officials sealed the apartment doors in keeping with tradition, despite the late pope never occupying the space during his 12-year pontificate.
Scaramuzzi noted that while Pope Leo’s return to the Apostolic Palace signals a shift from Francis’s approach, it does not reflect a regal mindset. “In my opinion, Leo is definitely different to Francis but not that different,” he said. “He is returning to the papal apartments, but not like a king.” The decision to share the living quarters aligns with the communal ethos of the Augustinians, the religious order to which Pope Leo belonged as prior-general from 2001 to 2013, when he lived in the order’s curia near St. Peter’s Square.
The Vatican has remained guarded about specifics of the ongoing renovations, which have addressed water damage and humidity accumulated during the apartment’s 12-year vacancy. The Telegraph reports that teams of technicians have spent months redesigning the space, which includes the pope’s bedroom, a private study, and a medical suite. Traditionally, the apartment’s window serves as the vantage point for the pope’s Sunday blessings over St. Peter’s Square. Three of the last six popes—John XXIII, John Paul I, and John Paul II—died within its walls.
While renovations continue, Pope Leo is residing in the Sagrestia building adjacent to St. Peter’s Basilica. This summer, he also reinstated the tradition of retreating to the papal summer residence in Castel Gandolfo, a practice Pope Francis had largely abandoned.
The identities of Pope Leo’s additional apartment companions remain undisclosed, but Scaramuzzi emphasized that the arrangement reflects the pope’s commitment to community living, a hallmark of his Augustinian roots. As the Vatican prepares for this novel chapter, the move underscores Pope Leo’s blend of tradition and innovation in his early papacy.
- Raju Hasmukh with files form Catholic Herald
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