In a symbolic gesture of continuity and renewal, Pope Leo XIV on Sunday ordered the reopening of the papal apartment in the Apostolic Palace—spaces that had remained sealed since the passing of Pope Francis, in accordance with tradition. The seals, affixed on April 21 as part of the official mourning protocol, were formally removed following the conclusion of the Regina Caeli prayer on May 11.

This ceremonial reopening, rich in historical and spiritual significance, took place in the presence of key Vatican officials. Among those attending were the Camerlengo, Cardinal Kevin Joseph Farrell; Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin; Archbishop Edgar Peña Parra, Substitute for General Affairs; Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States; and Monsignor Leonardo Sapienza, Prefect of the Pontifical Household.

The moment marked not just the unsealing of a residence, but the continuation of the Church’s temporal governance under new leadership. Pope Leo XIV’s decision to reintegrate the traditional papal apartment into his ministry underlines a quiet return to certain customs while the Church moves forward into a new chapter.