On the first day of his reign as pontiff, 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 May 18 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, born Robert Prevost, was relatively unknown before he was elected pope on May 8 following a conclave that was over within 24 hours. He had become a cardinal only 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 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 during a meeting 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.
Calls for Unity
Leo is inheriting a divided Church, where more conservative Catholics had accused his predecessor, Francis, of fostering confusion with remarks some cast as too political, such as those regarding same-sex unions.In his sermon, Leo used the word “harmony” four times and the words “unity” or “united” seven times, saying he would pursue his mission “with fear and trembling,” a reference to a work of the Christian existentialist philosopher Søren Kierkegaard.
“It is never a question of capturing others by force, by religious propaganda, or by means of power. Instead, it is always and only a question of loving, as Jesus did,” he said.
In an appeal to St. Peter, the apostle from whom popes have drawn their authority, Leo said: “Peter must shepherd the flock without ever yielding to the temptation to be an autocrat, lording it over those entrusted to him. On the contrary, he is called to serve the faith of his brothers and sisters, and to walk alongside them.”
Several world leaders attended the ceremony, including the presidents of Peru, Israel, and Nigeria, the prime ministers of Italy, Canada, and Australia, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
