On Sunday, May 18, the Catholic Church in Rome will hold a solemn Mass to inaugurate the new Pope. The newly elected Pope, Pope Leo XIV, will conduct the inauguration Mass at 10 a.m. local time in St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican. It is expected that 250,000 believers, dignitaries from various countries, and members of royal families will attend the ceremony.
At the age of 69, Pope Leo XIV, originally named Robert Prevost, was born in Chicago. He has spent many years doing missionary work in Peru and holds Peruvian citizenship. He was elected as the new Pope in a secret meeting earlier this month, within less than 24 hours, to succeed the late Pope Francis.
This inauguration ceremony marks Pope Leo XIV officially becoming the spiritual leader of the 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide, responsible for continuing the mission of peace and love.
The ceremony has attracted important guests from around the world, including US Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Israeli President Isaac Herzog, as well as the Presidents of Peru and the Prince of Wales. European royal members such as King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain will also be in attendance.
The Papal Inauguration is a significant ceremony in the Catholic Church, symbolizing the new Pope officially undertaking his pastoral duties. During the ceremony, Pope Leo XIV will receive the symbols of pastoral care and authority, the Pallium and the Ring of the Fisherman.
Traditionally, the Pope will ride in the white open-top Popemobile around the square, personally greeting the faithful. He will then enter St. Peter’s Basilica with accompanying cardinals to receive the aforementioned symbols.
The Pallium, woven from lamb’s wool, symbolizes caring for the faithful as Christ does; while the ring symbolizes the mission of the “Fisherman of Men” passed down from St. Peter, highlighting the Pope’s role as a shepherd and servant.
The Mass will be conducted in multiple languages, including Latin, Italian, Chinese, French, Arabic, Polish, Portuguese, and Greek, emphasizing the global nature of the Catholic Church.
Since his election, Pope Leo XIV has repeatedly emphasized the promotion of peace and dialogue. In his first public address with “peace be with you” as the opening, he stated on May 14 that the Vatican is willing to mediate international conflicts, stressing that “war is never inevitable.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated the Pope on his election on May 8 and expressed his hope for continued constructive dialogue and cooperation with the Vatican based on common Christian values. However, the Kremlin has not responded to the Pope’s call for achieving “just and lasting peace” in Ukraine.
Pope Leo XIV has also continued his predecessor’s active presence on social media, interacting with global believers through digital platforms. The Vatican confirmed that he will continue to engage through an X platform and an Instagram account. Currently operated in nine languages, the @Pontifex account has accumulated over 52 million followers.
On the eve of his inauguration, he posted a message on the X platform, stating, “The Holy See wishes to be a bridge that allows adversaries to sit face to face, restoring the most basic human dignity – that is peace. With sincere hearts, I urge leaders of all countries to dialogue, negotiate, and seek paths to peace together.”
While Pope Leo XIV has not clearly outlined whether he will continue his predecessor’s progressive policies, he has praised Francis’s spirit of reform on multiple occasions and has pledged to continue caring for vulnerable groups.
(This article is referenced from reports by The Guardian and Reuters)