VATICAN CITY (AP) — For thousands of Catholic pilgrims in Rome, it’s the unmissable Vatican appointment: the midday Sunday blessing the pope delivers from a window overlooking St. Peter’s Square.
The new pope, Leo XIV, is scheduled to deliver his first such prayer on Sunday from the loggia where he first appeared in public after being elected three days ago. His most recent predecessors delivered Sunday blessings, including their first, from a window in the Apostolic Palace overlooking the square.
Here is a look at the history, meaning and memorable moments from Sunday blessings of popes past.
In 1954, which he had declared a special year of veneration to the Virgin Mary, Pope Pius XII started reciting in public a traditional Catholic midday prayer to her. He first delivered it from the pope's summer residence, just outside Rome, at Castel Gandolfo.
Back at the Vatican, he kept it up from a window facing St. Peter’s Square at the Apostolic Palace, the 16th-century building where the papal apartments are. Pope Francis broke with tradition by living at a Vatican guest house instead, but still maintained the Sunday prayer tradition from the palace.
It’s become a chance for ordinary faithful to see the pope relatively up close. Especially since the papacy of St. John Paul II – from 1978 to 2005 – popes have added short messages touching on different topics of the day.
When a pope misses the weekly occasion, as Francis did earlier this year during his hospitalization, it makes global news.
The Vatican announced Leo would deliver his first such prayer on Sunday, which is coincidentally Mother’s Day in Italy and the United States, among other countries.
The Angelus is the short prayer to Mary that many Catholics recite daily.
Often prayed before Mass, but traditionally accompanied by the tolling of bells at dawn, midday and early evening, it references the moment when the Gospels say the Archangel Gabriel told Mary she would become the mother of God, and she accepted.
“Angelus” is Latin for angel, and the prayer’s first verse is “The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary.” The faithful then answer, “And she conceived of the Holy Spirit,” followed by a Hail Mary and a few more verses and prayers.
This “annunciation” scene is so pivotal in Christian dogma that it’s been represented by some of the most celebrated painters for centuries. Some artists have also portrayed the faithful reciting the Angelus, a practice that is believed to have started in the Middle Ages.
During Eastertime – the current liturgical season, spanning 50 days from Easter Sunday to Pentecost – the prayer is substituted with another devotion to Mary, the Regina Coeli (also spelled Caeli, Latin for “Queen of Heaven”) that encourages rejoicing in Christ’s resurrection.
Looking frail, St. John Paul II appeared at his hospital window for his last Angelus prayer less than three weeks before he died in 2005. He didn’t speak, only blessing the crowd with an olive branch. An archbishop delivered his message, with the trademark exhortation to young people not to be afraid to follow Jesus.
Tens of thousands of people packed St. Peter’s Square when Pope Benedict XVI gave his final Sunday prayer in 2013 before becoming the first pope in 600 years to resign. They cheered him on as he reassured the faithful he wasn’t abandoning the church, but rather turning to prayer because of his advancing age.
At his first Angelus in 2013, Francis introduced a key motif of his papacy: mercy. “A bit of mercy makes the world less cold and more just,” he told the crowd.
More recently, Francis used the Sunday blessings to call for peace, especially in Ukraine and Gaza. But he also would close his blessings with the down-to-earth phrase: “Have a good lunch."
Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
FILE - Pope Francis gestures on the first Sunday window appearance of his papacy to pray the Angelus and bless the faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Sunday, March 17, 2013. (AP Photo/Domenico Stinellis, File)
FILE- Pope Benedict XVI delivers his blessing during his last Angelus noon prayer, from the window of his studio overlooking St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican, Sunday, Feb. 24, 2013. (AP Photo/Domenico Stinellis, File)
FILE -- Pope John Paul II appears at a window of his rooms of the 10th floor of Rome's Gemelli Polyclinic Hospital, Sunday, March 13, 2005, where he was hospitalized, for the traditional blessing at the end of the Sunday's Angelus prayer. (AP Photo/Rudi Blaha, File)
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George had 16 points during the third quarter, when Utah rallied from a 10-point deficit and regained control and began its five-game road trip with a victory. George also was 12 of 12 at the free throw line and had nine assists.
The win was the Jazz’s second in their past eight games and came two nights after a 150-95 loss to the Charlotte Hornets, the second-largest by scoring margin in franchise history and the biggest since they moved from New Orleans in 1979.
Markkanen, 10th in the league in scoring at 27.8 points per game, also had 12 rebounds. Jusuf Nurkik, who missed the last two games due to a toe injury, had 11 points and 17 rebounds.
Darius Garland led Cleveland with 23 points and Donovan Mitchell scored 21. The Cavaliers have dropped two of three.
PACERS 98, CELTICS 96
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Pascal Siakam scored 21 points, including the decisive 7-foot bank shot with 6.1 seconds remaining, and Indiana won three straight games for the first time this season, beating Boston.
Boston’s Derrick White missed a go-ahead 3-point attempt in the final seconds. He had tied the game at 96-all on a driving layup with 28.6 seconds remaining.
Siakam pump-faked and stepped inside the foul line for the high-arcing leaner that banked through in the final seconds. He also had eight rebounds and six assists.
The Pacers began the night with the NBA’s worst record but improved to 9-31, one-half game better than the New Orleans Pelicans. They were without forward Bennedict Mathurin (17.8 points per game), sidelined by a thumb injury for a fifth consecutive game.
Jay Huff had 20 points, including four 3-pointers, for the Pacers.
Payton Pritchard led the Celtics with 23 points and eight assists. White had 18 points and Anfernee Simons 16.
76ERS 115, RAPTORS 102
TORONTO (AP) — Tyrese Maxey scored 33 points, Joel Embiid had 27 and Philadelphia used an 80-point first half to beat Toronto.
VJ Edgecombe and Paul George each scored 15 points as the 76ers bounced back from Sunday’s overtime loss to Toronto to win for the sixth time in eight games.
Embiid (left knee and left groin) and George (left knee) were back in the lineup after sitting out Sunday.
Fans chanted “We want Lowry!” in the fourth quarter, then rose for a standing ovation when former Raptors player Kyle Lowry checked in for Maxey with 1:57 left to play.
Lowry starred for the Toronto team that won the 2019 NBA championship. He airballed a 3-pointer on his first attempt and missed all three shots he took.
Immanuel Quickley scored 18 points and Brandon Ingram had 17 points and 10 rebounds. Scottie Barnes scored 15 points for Toronto.
MAVERICKS 113, NETS 105
DALLAS (AP) — Cooper Flagg scored 27 points and matched a season high with three steals, and Naji Marshall had three straight baskets down the stretch and finished with 22 points as Dallas beat Brooklyn.
The Mavericks (15-25) snapped a two-game skid. Klay Thompson scored 18 off the bench and matched a season high with six 3-pointers.
Michael Porter Jr. scored 28 points and Day’Ron Sharpe had 14 points and 12 rebounds off the bench for the Nets (11-26), who have lost four consecutive games. They were swept in a road back-to-back, losing 103-98 at Memphis on Sunday.
KINGS 124, LAKERS 112
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) —Malik Monk made seven 3-pointers and scored 26 points to help Sacramento Kings to a win over Los Angeles.
DeMar DeRozan had 32 points and six assists for the Kings (10-30), who won their second straight after a seven-game skid. Russell Westbrook, who played 78 games for the Lakers in 2023, added 22 points and seven assists.
It was the Kings’ first home win against the Lakers since March 13, 2024.
Luka Doncic paced the Lakers with 42 points, seven rebounds and eight assists. It was the seventh 40-point game of the season for the NBA’s leading scorer.
LeBron James had 22 points on 8-for-17 shooting that included missing all five attempts from 3-point distance.
DeAndre Ayton scored 13 points to reach 7,000 for his career. Jaxson Hayes added 12 points for the Lakers (23-11), who have lost two straight since winning three in a row.
CLIPPERS 117, HORNETS 109
INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Kawhi Leonard scored 35 points and James Harden had 32 to move into ninth place on the NBA’s career scoring list, and the Los Angeles Clippers beat Charlotte for their fourth win in five games.
Jordan Miller added 14 points and Ivica Zubac had nine points and 11 rebounds for the Clippers.
LaMelo Ball had 25 points and nine rebounds to lead the Hornets in their third loss in four games. Kon Knueppel scored 18 points, Moussa Diabaté had 13 points and 15 rebounds, Brandon Miller also scored 13 and Miles Bridges 11.
Cleveland Cavaliers center Evan Mobley (4) blocks a shot by Utah Jazz forward Kyle Filipowski (22) in the second half of an NBA basketball game in Cleveland, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
