The upcoming pontiff, Pope Leo XIV, is soon to acquire the invaluable regalia and extensive estate that accompany the papal position. Included in this are gold jewelry, a bulletproof popemobile, and luxurious Papal residences.
Robert Francis Prevost, a former bishop, will undergo a significant transformation in his new role at the Vatican. This stark change contrasts with his upbringing in a quiet town in Illinois and his past experience as a missionary aiding impoverished farmers in rural Peru.
The inaugural ceremony for the first American Pope is scheduled to take place in the upcoming week. This grand event will feature the bestowal of the pallium, a sacred vestment in the Catholic tradition, during a magnificent mass.
The Fisherman’s ring, perhaps the most symbolic piece of jewellery worn by a Pope, will then be placed on his finger.
The ring, inscribed with his Papal name and an image of St Peter casting his net, reportedly has an estimated value of $520,000 – though its worth to the Catholic Church is immeasurable.
Another invaluable piece of jewellery worn by Popes is their pectoral cross – each of which are specific to individual pontiffs.
As he greeted the faithful after his election on Thursday, Leo XIV wore a cross with a removable cover that contains the bones of saints, given to him by his religious order, the Augustinians, when he was made a cardinal in 2023.
The cross contains fragments of the bones of three key saints for the order, namely St Augustine, his mother St Monica and 16th-century archbishop St Thomas of Villanova.
During his presentation as Pope, Leo XIV wore a cross with a removable cover that contains the bones of saints
Pope Leo XIV concelebrates Mass with the College of Cardinals inside the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican the day after his election as 267th pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church
The ring of Pope Benedict XVI, seen in 2013. Pope Leo XIV’s ring is yet to be revealed
The palace of Castel Gandolfo, a 135-acre complex of buildings 25km outside of Rome, is set in in the Alban Hills with panoramic views of Lake Albano
The Apostolic Palace has long been the official residence of the pope, until Pope Francis chose to move into the Casa Santa Maria guesthouse
An all-electric Popemobile was built by Mercedes for Pope Francis last year, the cost of which was an estimated $500,000
Catholic liturgical jewellery is seen displayed inside the Gammarelli tailor shop, papal tailors since the 1700s, on April 24, 2025 in Rome
Meanwhile the ornate red and gold stole that he wore as he was presented on May 8 features ornate illustrations of the four gospels in the New Testament − Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
Contrasting with the gilded grandeur of the Vatican, Leo’s predecessor Pope Francis was known for his humble ways, which began when he joined the Jesuit Order in the 1950s and took a vow of poverty.
His chosen attire indicated a move back to tradition, experts said, contrasting with Pope Francis’ all-white clothing during his 2013 introduction which indicated a desire for simplicity.
The late Pope, who died last month aged 88, tried hard to maintain this throughout his life, even after he was installed in the Vatican.
Rather than taking up residence in the luxurious Papal apartments in Rome’s Apostolic Palace, the Pontiff chose to move into the Casa Santa Maria guesthouse and live as frugally as possible.
‘At the time of the conclave I lived in Room 207. This room where we are now was a guest room. I chose to live here, in Room 201, because when I took possession of the papal apartment, inside myself I distinctly heard a ‘no,’ Francis said in a 2013 interview.
The Gallery of Alexander Vii During a Preview of the Opening to the Public of the Papal Apartment in the Apostolic Palace of Castel Gandolfo
The Pope’s bedroom in Palace Castel Gandolfo, famous because in 1944, during World War II, it was given to the women in labour hidden there by Pope Pius XII
A view of the Papal apartments in the Apostolic Palace in Castel Gandolfo, which were opened to the public by Pope Francis
A view of pope Francis’s apartment at Santa Marta Residence at the Vatican. The late Pope chose not to move into the lavish papal apartments inside the Apostolic Palace
A view of Pope Francis’ apartment at Santa Marta Residence at the Vatican
In-keeping with this everyman image, Francis also converted the Papal summer residence Castel Gandolfo into a museum, forgoing the decadent retreat enjoyed by many of his predecessors.
Pope Leo, who is known as an advocate for the poor, has indicated that he will continue Francis’ legacy, and has even been dubbed a ‘second Francis’.
However, it remains unclear where he will live during his papacy, and whether he could reverse Francis’ decision to turn the Papal retreat into a museum and make use of the apartments in the stunning cliffside castle.
‘It is a decision that is permanent until the Pontiff wants it to remain as such,’ Dr Sandro Barbaglio, a curator at the Vatican Museum, said in 2016.
‘This means a future pope can decide to take back the residence, making it private again.’
Each Pope has put their own stamp on the papal residences.
The palace of Castel Gandolfo, a 135-acre complex of buildings 25km outside of Rome, is set in in the Alban Hills with panoramic views of Lake Albano.
The vast palace is complete with a swimming pool, installed by Pope John Paul II.
The Polish Pope regularly used the palace and its facilities, and raised eyebrows when he was photographed by paparazzi in his swimming trunks at the pool.
Pope Benedict meanwhile established an organic farm there, which is home to cows, free-range chickens and bees.
As well as his living quarters he chooses, the mode of transport the new Pope will select will undoubtedly be scrutinised.
Italian cardinal Angelo Sodano (R) puts the Fisherman’s Ring, made of gold-plated silver, on a finger of Pope Francis during his grandiose inauguration mass on March 19, 2013 at the Vatican
When a new Pope is inaugurated, the bestowal of the ring symbolises the duty being handed down to him as one of Peter’s successors and leader of the church
A keen environmentalist, Pope Francis chose an all-electric Popemobile built by Mercedes, the cost of which was an estimated $500,000.
Francis’ personal were rarely as lavish as official vehicles, and he was often spotted in a second-generation Ford Focus and a 1984 Renault 4GTL.
Popes have used all kinds of vehicles over the years, with Pope Paul VI travelling in a Lincoln Continental for a visit to New York City in 1965.
The kind of car Leo XIV will choose to travel in remains to be seen – but with Francis’s modified electric G-Wagon only built for him last year, it is likely to be another area of continuity for the new Pope.
