Over a week since he was proclaimed the 267th pontiff.
On Sunday, May 18, over 200,000 pilgrims and leaders of other religions, gathered at the St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City to celebrate the first mass of Pope Leo XIV.
The new pope was elected by the College of Cardinals during a conclave that lasted over 24 hours on May 8, 2025 (Vatican time).
In his homily, Pope Leo XIV reflected on the passing of his predecessor, Pope Francis, who died at the age of 88 on April 21, and its aftermath
“Following the death of Pope Francis, we felt like sheep without a shepherd. yet having received his final blessing on Easter Sunday, and with eyes of faith, hope, and joy, we remembered how the Lord never abandons His people.
He also assured the faithfuls of his role as the pontiff, telling them, “I come to you as a brother, who desires to be the servant of your faith and your joy, walking with you on the path of God’s love, for he wants us all to be united in one family.”
True to his earlier convictions as the new head of the church, Pope Leo XIV also called for unity, sharing that he hopes that it would be a “small leaven of unity, communion, and fraternity with the world.“
Meanwhile, during the inaugural mass, Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle, who is Pro-Prefect for the Section of First Evangelization of the Dicastery for Evangelization, was the one tasked to bestow the fisherman’s ring to the pope.
Tagle and Pope Leo XIV, who was known as Cardinal Robert Prevost, have worked together on several occasions from way back, with the Filipino cardinal reflecting in his interview with the Vatican News that they first met in Manila.
“I first met Pope Leo XIV in Manila and in Rome when he was still the Prior General of the Order of St. Augustine. We worked together in the Roman Curia starting in 2023. He has a deep and patient capacity for listening and engages in careful study and reflection before making a decision,” said Cardinal Tagle.
Pope Leo XIV is the first pontiff from North America in the Catholic church’s over 2000-year-long history.
At 69 years old, the new Pope was the perfecr of the Dicastery for Bishopd and the leader of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America.
Born as a North American, he holds dual-citizenship after being naturalized as a Peruvian in 2015, and served as the Bishop of Chicaylo.
He succeeds the late Pope Francis, who then made history as the first Latin American to hold the position upon his election in 2013.