Leo XIV celebrated an outdoor mass on Sunday officially inaugurating him like the 267th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, saying to the world leaders, the hierarchy reunited with its church and more than 100,000 faithful gathered on the Saint-Pierre square that the church needed a new unit which recognized its diversity.
In his homily, the new pontiff sought to fill the divisions of the church between those who want to engage with the modern world by advancing with the inclusive approach of Pope Francis, and these more conservative members who promote the return to the accent on the traditions of the Church.
The cardinals responsible for electing a pope, he said, had asked for a “shepherd capable of preserving the rich heritage of the Christian faith and at the same time, looking towards the future, in order to face the questions, concerns and challenges of the world of today”.
Leo, an American who has Peruvian citizenship, also declared in his homily, that “I was chosen, without any merit, and now, with fear and tremor, I come to you as a brother.” He added that he wanted “all of us to the United States in a single family”.
The morning also marked the first steps of Pope Leo in a world role. He met on Sunday with President Volodymyr Zelensky from Ukraine, which said: “Displays negotiations for fair and sustainable peace,” called Peace in Myanmar and urged the world not to forget the “hunger”.
Vice-President JD Vance, who had a controversial meeting at the White House earlier this year with Mr. Zelensky, was also present and briefly shaken with the Ukrainian leader before the start of mass. After the mass, Mr. Vance, that the White House called “the first Catholic convert”, to serve in the position, briefly shaken the Pope’s hand on a long line of reception of dignitaries and Royals.
It was not clear if he would receive a private audience before returning to the United States on Monday.
But the objective of the day was the official start of the Ministry of Pope Leo XIV in a day filled with ancient and symbolic rituals, some of which have visibly affected it.
Leo, former Cardinal Robert Prevost, who, after his election on May 8, has always signed his emails as a Bob, went around a square of Saint-Pierre packaged while crowds chant his name and captured the moment on the phones of the hassled camera.
He then entered the Saint-Pierre basilica and went down to the fact that the tradition holds is the tomb of Saint-Pierre to pray. He emerged late in the footsteps of the basilica to celebrate mass.
A cardinal equipped his finger with the fisherman’s ring used as a seal. Leo, apparently suffocated, stopped to look on his hand. He also took symbolic clothes that highlighted his role as a good shepherd of the Church and were held in front of symbolic rites of obedience of lay Catholics and clerics.
Maked his mission by echoing the role of Jesus as “fisherman of humanity in order to do so with the waters of evil and death”, he returned to the priority of Francis, his predecessor, which the Church keeps in his mission of evangelization. However, he said, it is not a question of capturing others by force, by religious propaganda or by power “, but out of love.
The new pope added that a pastor, like Peter, the first pope, should be close to “the herd without ever yielding to the temptation to be an autocrat, praising him on those entrusted to him”. He said that the church was to be animated by a “missionary spirit” and “not to close in our small groups” or “feel superior to the world”.
But Leo highlighted the idea of a “coexistence of diversity” in what he called a “united church” – a central idea of Saint Augustine. The new pontiff joined the order of Saint-Augustin as a young man and finally managed his global operations from his headquarters just outside the Saint-Pierre square.
It was a message that many of the cardinals wanted to hear, after periods of division in the church. But many wanted to make sure that the vision of Leo unity did not mean backing, and that the vision of the new pope included Francis’ inclusive spirit.
Since his days who have become Pope, the supporters of Francis say that they feel assured that his welcoming inheritance is now safe. Sunday, Leo reiterated that he had sought a “unity which does not cancel the differences but values the personal history of each person and the social and religious culture of each people”.
Beyond the Church, Leo said: “We always see too much discord, too many injuries caused by hatred, violence, prejudices, the fear of difference and an economic paradigm that exploits the resources of the poorest and marginalizes the poorest.”
Marilyn Heller, a lawyer from Long Island, had tears in his eyes after mass.
“A Pope of the United States,” she said, adding that she thought that a new era had started. “I have the impression that there is a new energy in the church.”
Elizabeth Dias,, Emma Bubola And Elisabetta POVOLEDO Contributed reports.
