Leo, in his sermon read in Italian, said he would continue the legacy of his predecessor by fighting poverty and championing the environment.
Marking the first day of his reign as pontiff, on May 18 Pope Leo XIV appealed to conservatives who felt disillusioned by his predecessor and vowed to unify the church while preserving its history.
During an outdoor mass on Sunday, and following his first ride in the popemobile as tens of thousands gathered in St. Peter’s Square, the Roman Catholic Church formally installed him as the 267th pontiff and sovereign monarch of Vatican City.
“Brothers and sisters, I would like that our first great desire be for a united Church, a sign of unity and communion, which becomes a leaven for a reconciled world,” Leo said.
Leo, 68, was born in Chicago and spent several years working as a missionary in Peru, where he gained citizenship. Many in the crowd on Sunday waved U.S. and Peruvian flags, with the well-wishers from both nations claiming him as the first pontiff from their homelands.
Chants of “Viva il Papa,” which means “long live the Pope,” and “Papa Leone,” his Italian name, could be heard from the crowd as the popemobile cut through St. Peter’s Square.
Leo, whose official name is Robert Prevost, was relatively unknown before he was elected pope on May 8 following a conclave that was over within 24 hours. He had only become a cardinal two years prior.
His predecessor, Francis, was from Argentina and died on April 21, following 12 years of leading the Catholic Church. During his reign, Francis advocated for the poor and marginalized and often faced criticism from hardline traditionalists and conservatives.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance, who is a recent Catholic convert, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, another Catholic, led a U.S. delegation to the ceremony.
At the beginning of the ceremony, Vance shook hands with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, months after the two clashed in the Oval Office.
Leo, in his sermon read in Italian, said he would continue the legacy of his predecessor by fighting poverty and championing the environment, while also standing strong in the face of modern challenges as the leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Roman Catholics.
According to Leo, the cardinals had chosen a pontiff “capable of preserving the rich heritage of the Christian faith and, at the same time, looking to the future, in order to confront the questions, concerns, and challenges of today’s world.”
By Jacob Burg
