Pope Leo XIV rode into St Peter’s Square on a popemobile for the first time on Sunday as tens of thousands of people, including dozens of world leaders, celebrated him as the new leader of the world’s 1.4. billion Catholics.
Crowds crammed the square and surrounding streets in Rome in the biggest gathering at the Vatican since the funeral of Leo’s predecessor, Pope Francis, on 26 April.
Well-wishers carried US and Peruvian flags to cheer the first pope from the United States before his inaugural Mass began in St Peter’s Square.
People chanted “Viva il Papa” (Long Live the Pope) and “Papa Leone”, his name in Italian.
The open-topped popemobile was surrounded by more than a dozen security guards as it drove through the square and down the long boulevard that leads to the Tiber River, for Leo’s first ride.
The vehicle moved quickly, but briefly stopped twice so Leo could bless three babies. Source: AP / Andrew Medichini
Robert Prevost, a relative unknown on the world stage who only became a cardinal two years ago, was elected pope on 8 May after a short conclave of cardinals that lasted barely 24 hours.
Francis, an Argentine, died on 21 April after leading the Church for 12 often turbulent years during which he battled with traditionalists and championed the poor and marginalised.
US Vice President JD Vance, a Catholic convert who clashed with Francis over the Trump administration’s hard-line immigration policies, is leading a US delegation alongside Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is also Catholic.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was also in attendance, as he was at Francis’ funeral when he had face-to-face talks with US President Donald Trump in St Peter’s Basilica.
Zelenskyy last met Vance in February in the White House, when .
of the inauguration in the Holy See.
He is expected to with his Ukrainian counterpart.
Jenkins faces 13 years in a Russian prison after a court found him guilty of taking part in an armed conflict as a mercenary, which denies him the protections provided to prisoners of war under the Geneva Convention.
On Saturday, Albanese told journalists he was “outraged” by Jenkins’ incarceration and that Russia was continuing to abrogate its obligations to international law.
Also attending the Vatican ceremony were the presidents of Peru, Israel and Nigeria, the prime ministers of Italy, Canada and Australia, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Focus on peace
In various sermons and comments since his election as pope, Leo has praised Francis repeatedly but has not offered many hints about whether he will continue with the late pontiff’s vision of opening the Church up to the modern world.
His homily on Sunday is likely to indicate some of the priorities for his papacy, having already made clear over the past 10 days that he will push for peace whenever possible.
His first words in an appearance to crowds in St Peter’s Square on the night of his election were “Peace be with you all,” echoing words Catholics use in their celebrations.
Sunday’s Mass will feature prayers in several languages, in a nod to the global reach of the 1.4 billion-member Church, including Latin, Italian, Greek, Portuguese, French, Arabic, Polish, and Chinese.
