Pope Leo XIV urges new archbishops to be good shepherds

Pope Leo XIV placed the pallium on 35 new metropolitan archbishops at St. Peter’s Basilica on June 29 and used the ceremony to press them to be Good Shepherds. The Mass for the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul began at 9:30 a.m. in the basilica, where the pope linked the new archbishops’ authority to service, unity and care for the faithful.

The pallium, a woolen band marked with crosses, is worn over an archbishop’s vestments and symbolizes unity with the pope and responsibility for the flock entrusted to him. By making that symbolism central on one of the Church’s biggest Roman feast days, Leo XIV signaled that he wants episcopal leadership measured less by status than by pastoral credibility in dioceses facing internal strain and public scrutiny.

In his homily, Leo XIV pointed to Saints Peter and Paul as the Church’s “two pillars” and as examples of how flawed men became powerful witnesses to the Gospel. He urged the new archbishops to imitate the Lord and serve as Good Shepherds, a message that also carried a clear institutional edge: bishops are expected to build unity, not deepen faction, and to carry their offices as a trust rather than a prize.

That emphasis matters well beyond the liturgy. When a pope publicly defines the ideal bishop as a shepherd who strengthens communion, it shapes what kind of candidates are likely to be advanced and what kind of conduct will be expected once they arrive in office. In practice, that points toward appointments grounded in pastoral steadiness, accountability and the ability to hold together polarized dioceses, rather than simply rewarding strong administrators or loud doctrinal combatants.

The Rome ceremony also drew a strong American presence. Church coverage identified at least four U.S. archbishops among the recipients, including Archbishop James Checchio of New Orleans and Archbishop Mark S. Rivituso of Mobile. Rivituso traveled with 68 pilgrims, while a reception followed the Mass at the Pontifical North American College, underscoring how the rite still functions as a deeply personal milestone for archbishops and their local Catholic communities.

The setting added another layer to the message. Pope Francis had restored the earlier practice in 2015 of having the local nuncio place the pallium in the archbishop’s home archdiocese, but Leo XIV personally presided over the 2026 rite in Rome. Bringing the ceremony back under papal gaze made the point unmistakable: the archbishop’s first loyalty is to communion with the pope, and the standard for leadership is shepherding the Church through credibility, discipline and unity.