Vatican City, May 15, 2025 / 10:00 am (CNA).
Pope Leo XIV is expected to move into the official papal residence, an apartment on the top floor of the Apostolic Palace, departing from the living arrangements used by Pope Francis for 12 years.
The papal apartment, which is a series of rooms wrapping around the Vatican’s Sixtus V Courtyard, was the traditional home of pontiffs for over a century before Pope Francis eschewed those living quarters for a suite in the Vatican’s guesthouse, the Casa Santa Marta.
Pope Francis explained his decision as “a need to live my life with others” in a 2013 interview. The late pope said the papal apartment is “old, tastefully decorated and large, but not luxurious.”
Francis’ choice of living space was commonly interpreted as a sign of his simplicity and rejection of papal pomp, though U.S. Jesuit Father James Martin said Leo’s expected move into the papal apartment was a prudent decision.
Martin called it understandable that Leo might move back into the Apostolic Palace, given the busy and crowded nature of the Vatican guesthouse compared with the privacy of the papal apartment.
“Leo’s move should not be taken as a sign either of a critique of Pope Francis (whom he has praised repeatedly and whose legacy he formally told the cardinals he wishes to continue) or as him not living ‘simply,’” the author wrote on X.
Since I’ve already been asked this several times today, I think it’s perfectly understandable that Pope Leo would want to move back into the Apostolic Palace. As much as I loved and admired Pope Francis, I myself wouldn’t want to live in Casa Santa Marta, a guest house, for years…
— James Martin, SJ (@JamesMartinSJ) May 13, 2025
Pope Francis lived in a second-floor bedroom with a sitting room attached but would go frequently to the Apostolic Palace for meetings and audiences. Toward the end of his pontificate, he would also receive visitors in various meeting rooms of the guesthouse.
According to people who have been there, the Santa Marta guesthouse posed significant security challenges, and when the pope made it his official residence after his 2013 election, a section of the second floor was closed to guests for security.
The quarters in the Apostolic Palace include a chapel, bedroom and bathroom, papal study, office for the pope’s secretary, a living room, dining room, kitchen, and library for meetings. Since John Paul II’s pontificate, which ended in illness, the apartment has also included an outfitted medical suite that was later expanded to include dental equipment. There is also a roof garden and rooms for housekeeping staff.
The Apostolic Palace is a large building situated just to the northeast of St. Peter’s Basilica, inside Vatican City. One corner of the building overlooks St. Peter’s Square.
Besides the papal apartment, the Apostolic Palace — also sometimes called the Palace of Sixtus V for the pope who had most of it built — contains Vatican offices, the Vatican library, and some of the rooms now part of the Vatican Museums.
Several of the windows of the papal apartment overlook St. Peter’s Square, including the window at which recent popes, including Pope Francis, would appear weekly on Sundays and holy days to pray the Angelus or Regina Caeli and give a brief reflection. On May 11, Pope Leo sang the Regina Caeli from the central loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica for the first time.
Following recent convention, the papal apartment will likely undergo some renovations and customization prior to Leo’s move-in. Since his election, the pope has been continuing to sleep in the Vatican apartment he used as prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, which is in the Palazzo Sant’Uffizio, the building that also houses the offices of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith.
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Can’t wait to see what the so-called MSM do with this news.
(Of course, Fr. Martin wasted no time getting in front of the expected – in view of the by-now-well-established – media interpretation).
“U.S. Jesuit Father James Martin said Leo’s expected move into the papal apartment was a prudent decision.”
Perhaps Fr. James Martin S.J. could tell us what his thoughts are about what Pope Leo has had for breakfast since his election.
For certain, I’d be most grateful to be totally rid of Jesuits at the Vatican.
Laicizing James Martin, SCH immediately would also be a prudent decision. That would definitely send a message.
AMEN. Why is anyone reporting on anything that fr james martin says?
Pope Leo is the head of a large organisation that needs to be managed snot hiding himself away in staff quarters. You wouldn’t expect the captain of a large ship to bunk down in the engine room because it makes him more “humble”. No the captain needs to be on the bridge guiding the ship. It is the the job he was appointed to do.
By what mentality is poster child James Martin asked what he thinks about Pope Leo’s “new digs”, just because Martin is American? Speaking more theologically, who the hell is James Martin, today?
Peter: Excellent comment. Just who the hell IS James Martin?
I’m not sure if this is germane to the discussion, but when I read this I thought of when He commented about the ‘birds of sky etc.. have their homes but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”
Not sure what the intention of this is. Do you suggest the Pope do the same? Only Christ was the “Son of Man.” (Not trying to be snarky – tone of voice is not available in text, and I never thought emojis helped). Genuine question.
I guess it’s relevant that He also struggled with housing, starting out His earthly life with no housing. It is still Jesus’ church, right, with Leo taking Peter’s place?
There’s no underlying intent one way or another; I do hope the church returns to messaging “turn away from sin, and preach the Gospel,” along with their missionary work. I didn’t realize there was a large debt at the Vatican.
“…Pope Francis lived in a second-floor bedroom with a sitting room attached…”. This has been the Public Relations message by Francis’s Vatican for years.
The full story available from many sources is that Francis spent $1 Million Euros on re-doing the entire 2nd floor of Santa Marta for himself. Everything he spent that money on already existed at the Apostolic Palace 2 city blocks walk away from Santa Marta.
Many long term residents of the 2nd floor of Santa Marta were evicted in that process. They became homeless.
In addition, the Vatican spent undisclosed sums to the city of Rome to secure the street on the other side of the South Vatican Wall that Santa Marta sits next to. Again – the rooms at the Apostolic Palace were ready to go at no cost.
All that while the Church now sits with $2 Billion Debt plus $400 Million underfunded pension fund for the Vatican employees.
Lastly, I have a personal friend who had a brief stay at Santa Marta (which is in reality a 5-Star Hotel) while Francis lived there. He was instructed that you do NOT engage Francis in any way if you pass by him during your stay. He DID pass by Francis – just the 2 of them in a hallway or by an elevator or the like and he didn’t even get a nod from Francis acknowledging his existence. Very wierd. Only the smell of SOME OF the sheep mattered!
Hey Harry,
I too have read about the Santa Marta where Francis lived. Also, it was reported that the Apostolic Palace has that grand-sounding name, when in fact it is reputed to be cold and drafty, being made of stone, and actually without much updating to bring its utilities to qualify for a good standard of western living.
So much for Francis’ public image of poverty and humility–a warping of the real and true, marking and marring his pontificate.
Please, the man is dead, let him RIP.
Br. Jaques: but the ill effects of his papacy live on.
Is anyone or anything stopping him from his rest? Had he ever been stopped at anything he wanted to do?
Lest we forget, here is the Church’s prayer for the dead:
Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen..
Is anyone or anything stopping him from his rest? Had he ever been stopped at anything he wanted to do?
Lest we forget, the Church urges prayer for the dead, adding also a plenary indulgence.
Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen..
James Martin SJ is consultor to the Vatican’s Dicastery for Communication. He unfortunately has a voice on what occurs. Now there’s a slew of Francis’ actors in place at the Vatican. If Pope Leo is expected to make the appropriate policy corrections, or let us say improvements, he will have to, one way or another deal with this crowd.
We’re all happy that Pope Leo will return to the papal apartment in the Apostolic Palace.
We should also hope that he will stay in the papal summer residence in Castel Gandolfo which Francis did not use.
It is a wonderful place for prayer, reflection and it provides a cool escape the oppressive heat of Rome in summer.
“Leo’s move should not be taken as a sign either of a critique of Pope Francis …
See entry for whistling past the graveyard.
Re Harry above – As I see it, Fr. Martin was in a hurry to get ahead of the MSM before the facts get out and blow their 12-year narrative to smithereens.
Has Leo shown any sign of interest in living in Casa Santa Marta? He was filmed earlier this week walking around with Vatican staff and members of the Curia unsealing the rooms in the Papal apartments . He hasn’t moved in yet but it has been reported that repairs and renovations are undeway. Why wouldn’t he live there? Because Pope Francis thought it was too ostentatious for his humble tastes? I find it magnificent, even if it has the problems that most centuries-old buildings have. I would live there, LOL.
To me, Santa Marta looks like a waste of money that a cash-strapped Vatican cannot afford to maintain. Especially after reading Harry’s post above. The Apostolic Palace needs continual maintenance, but unless it is structurally unsound to the point of being dangerous, it is the appropriate place for the Pope to reside, and where the sense of contact with earlier Popes will be the strongest. Plus security (which has gotten very expensive) is probably easier and less costly to maintain than in a hotel patronized by visitors around the world.
As you say, the attempt to reinforce a narrative about Leo is underway. But the facts are getting in the way.
Mary E. above – I was actually referring to the 12-year media narrative about Pope Francis.
As I see it, Fr. Martin grasps that Pope Leo is being well-received (understatement) and it won’t work to criticize his implied shortcomings vis-a-vis Francis.
(I look forward to more entertainment from Fr. Martin!)
Cleo – I must disagree with you – I DON’T look forward to more entertainment from Fr. Martin.
Thanks, yes I thnk I understand. (I gather that there has been an online debate this week about where Pope Leo should live, but without reference to what Leo is actually doing.)
The media must be struggling with the realization that, well, Francis, along with the narratives they built up around him, really is gone. He made their jobs easy. They will have a harder time under the new papacy. They msy have to think and do research, egads …
And Fr. Martin always has his ear to the ground.
Terence – What? Not enjoy watching Fr. Martin turn himself into a pretzel trying to unsay what he’s been saying lo these many years?