Pope Leo XIV's inaugural mass attracts tens of thousands, including PM Carney

Nicole Winfield · The Associated Press

· Posted: May 18, 2025 5:37 AM EDT | Last Updated: 2 minutes ago

Pope Leo XIV officially opened his pontificate arsenic history's archetypal American pope connected Sunday, presiding implicit an inaugural Mass successful St. Peter's Square earlier tens of thousands of people, presidents, patriarchs and princes successful a ceremonial that blended past ritual, evocative symbols and a motion to modern-day celebrity.

Leo launched the solemnisation by taking his archetypal popemobile circuit done the piazza, a rite of transition that has go synonymous with the papacy's planetary scope and mediatic draw, utilized astatine location and overseas to bring popes adjacent to their flock.

The 69-year-old Augustinian missionary smiled and waved from the backmost of the truck, but didn't look to halt to buss babies. Security was choky arsenic civilian extortion crews successful neon uniforms funneled pilgrims into quadrants successful the piazza and up and down the boulevard that leads to it.

U.S. Vice-President JD Vance, 1 of the past overseas officials to spot Pope Francis earlier helium died, paid his respects astatine the Argentine pope's tomb upon arriving successful Rome precocious Saturday and headed the U.S. delegation honouring the Chicago-born Leo.

After the nationalist circuit successful the square, Leo went into the basilica to commune astatine the tomb of St. Peter, considered to beryllium the archetypal pope, nether the basilica's main altar and past processed retired into the piazza for the mass.

Strict seating plan

Strict diplomatic protocol dictated the seating arrangements, with some the United States and Peru getting front-row seats acknowledgment to Leo's dual citizenship.

Vance, a Catholic person who tangled with Francis implicit the Trump administration's wide migrant deportation plans, was joined by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who arrived successful Rome up of clip to effort to beforehand Russia-Ukraine bid talks.

Peruvian President Dina Boluarte is 1 of astir a twelve heads of authorities attending, arsenic good arsenic Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Russia is being represented by the civilization minister, Olga Liubimova.

Prime Minister Mark Carney departed Canada Friday nighttime for his archetypal authoritative travel to the Vatican. He attended the wide with members of Parliament from the Liberal caucus, who are practising Catholics oregon who correspond ample Catholic constituencies

Diplomatic protocol besides dictated the formal code: While astir wore black, the fistful of Catholic queens and princesses — Charlene of Monaco and Letizia of Spain among others — wore achromatic successful a peculiar privilege allowed them.

WATCH | Who is successful the Canadian delegation? 

Delegations, faithful flock from astir the world

Three twelve of the world's different Christian churches sent their ain delegations, headed by patriarchs, reverends, ministers and metropolitans, portion the Jewish assemblage had a 13-member delegation, fractional of them rabbis.

U.S. seminarian Ethan Menning, 21, from Omaha, Neb., wrapped himself successful an American flag, purchased astatine a motortruck halt successful Iowa, to celebrate.

"Rome ever felt similar location for a Catholic, but present coming present and seeing 1 of our ain connected the throne of Peter ... it astir makes Jesus himself much accessible," helium said.

Kalen Hill, a pilgrim from the U.S., got to St. Peter's soon aft the gates opened astatine dawn Sunday greeting and said helium ne'er expected an American would pb the 1.4-billion beardown church.

"I would accidental each the Americans are affectional astir it," helium said. "It is truly almighty for American Catholics who sometimes consciousness separated from the satellite religion to beryllium brought successful and included successful this assemblage done Pope Leo."

The rituals

During the Mass, Leo volition person the 2 potent symbols of the papacy: the lambswool stole, known arsenic a pallium, and the fisherman's ring. The pallium, draped crossed his shoulders, symbolizes the pastor carrying his flock arsenic the pope carries the faithful. The ring, which becomes Leo's authoritative seal, harks backmost to Jesus' telephone to the apostle Peter to formed his sportfishing nets.

The different symbolically important infinitesimal of the Mass is the representational rite of obedience to Leo: Whereas successful the past each cardinals would vow obedience to the caller pope, much caller papal installations impact representatives of cardinals, bishops, priests, deacons, nuns, joined couples and young radical participating successful the rite.

Another alteration from the past is that Sunday's wide isn't a coronation ceremony, which utilized to impact the pope receiving a tiara, but is simply known arsenic a wide to commencement the pope's ministry arsenic the bishop of Rome.

In the days since his historical election, Leo has already sketched retired immoderate of his cardinal priorities arsenic pope. In his archetypal overseas argumentation address, helium said the Holy See's 3 pillars of diplomacy were peace, justness and truth.

In his archetypal large economics address, helium emphasized the Catholic Church's societal doctrine and the hunt for truth. It's not known if he'll usage his installation homily arsenic a ngo connection arsenic immoderate of his predecessors did.

Americans revel 

After the homily and astatine the extremity of the mass, determination volition beryllium a final blessing earlier going into the basilica to greet the heads of the much than 150 authoritative delegations attending. Security was tight, arsenic it was for Francis' ceremonial connected April 26, which drew an estimated 250,000 people. Rome authorities are readying for different 250,000 connected Sunday.

The piazza and main boulevard starring to it, and 2 adjacent piazzas were acceptable up with elephantine tv screens, and dozens of portable toilets person been erected successful a adjacent park.

Gregory and Susan Hudak, who lived for 40 years successful the Chicago area, recovered themselves successful Rome aft booking a travel successful February, with conscionable a faint anticipation of possibly glimpsing the pope. Seeing the popemobile walk by successful beforehand of them, with the Chicago-born Leo connected board, was adjacent amended than watching Michael Jordan play, said Gary Hudak, a erstwhile altar lad wearing a Chicago Bears hat.

"Originally, the lone anticipation I had coming present was to spot the wrong of the Sistine Chapel," helium said. "I was gladsome the conclave was over, due to the fact that I could get to spot the wrong of the Sistine Chapel. Seeing the pope was not scheduled, it was a agelong changeable hope. And this was a treasure, elemental arsenic that."