And so it happened that Robert Prevost – who became the first American Pope in History, Leo XIV – has been formally inaugurated in a ceremony that gathered world leaders and hundreds of thousands of faithful.
Leo XIV began his papacy by reaching out to conservatives, calling for unity, vowing to preserve the Catholic Church’s heritage and not rule like an ‘autocrat’.
He took his first ride in the popemobile through the massive crowd of up to 200,000 in St. Peter’s Square, before being officially installed as the 267th pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church.
Reuters reported:
“Well-wishers waved U.S. and Peruvian flags, with people from both countries claiming him as the first pope from their nations. Born in Chicago, the 69-year-old pontiff spent many years as a missionary in Peru and also has Peruvian citizenship.”
HISTORIC FIRST: Pope Leo XIV thrills crowds with his first popemobile ride!
In a joyful prelude to his inauguration Mass, Pope Leo XIV took his first ride in the popemobile, extending his journey far beyond tradition. #PopeLeoXIV #PapalInaugurationpic.twitter.com/vcOLR9S26m— EWTN Vatican (@EWTNVatican) May 18, 2025
Prevost was unknown to the general public, and was elected pope on May 8, after a short conclave that lasted barely 24 hours.
“In his sermon, read in fluent Italian, Leo said that as leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Roman Catholics, he would continue Francis’ legacy on social issues such as combating poverty and protecting the environment.
He vowed to face up to ‘the questions, concerns and challenges of today’s world’ and, in a nod to conservatives, he promised to preserve ‘the rich heritage of the Christian faith’, repeatedly calling for unity.”
Watch: Secretary of State Marco Rubio and VP JD Vance greet the American Pope.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio greeting the Holy Father Pope Leo XIV in St. Peter’s Basilica after the Mass for his Inauguration. pic.twitter.com/GHAoeCZsu2
— Catholic Sat (@CatholicSat) May 18, 2025
US Vice President JD Vance and his wife Usha greeting Pope Leo XIV in St. Peter’s Basilica after the Mass for the Pope’s Inauguration. pic.twitter.com/4ww2bx0rbR
— Catholic Sat (@CatholicSat) May 18, 2025
Associated Press reported:
“During the Mass, Leo appeared to choke up when the two potent symbols of the papacy were placed on him — the lambswool stole over his shoulders and the fisherman’s ring on his finger — as if the weight of responsibility of leading the 1.4-billion strong church had just sunk in.
He turned his hand to look at the ring and seal and then clasped his hands in front of him in prayer.”
Pope Leo XIV is brought to tears as he receives the Fisherman’s Ring at his inauguration as Bishop of Rome and Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church pic.twitter.com/gZ8iI05r4M
— Catholic Sat (@CatholicSat) May 18, 2025
Leo wants to be ‘a servant to the faithful’ through the two dimensions of the papacy, love and unity, so that the church could be ‘a force for peace in the world’.
“’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’, he said. ‘In this our time, we still see too much discord, too many wounds caused by hatred, violence, prejudice, the fear of difference, and an economic paradigm that exploits the Earth’s resources and marginalizes the poorest’.”
A visible emotional Pope Leo XIV as the crowd chant “Many more years!” in Greek at his Inauguration. pic.twitter.com/VRViyP2k7y
— Catholic Sat (@CatholicSat) May 18, 2025
Christus vincit! Christus regnat! Christus imperat!
Christ conquers, Christ reigns, Christ commands
The Laudes Regiae, or Royal Acclamations, at the Inauguration of Pope Leo XIV, with the invocation of the Saints of Heaven, that they may come to his aid. pic.twitter.com/RHP1ZaKYks
— Catholic Sat (@CatholicSat) May 18, 2025
Read more:
WATCH: Vice President and Second Lady Vance Meet Pope Leo XIV in Vatican City
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The post Pope Leo XVI Inaugurated Calling for Unity, for Church To Become ‘Force for Peace in the World’ – Gets Emotional When Receiving Fisherman’s Ring (VIDEOS) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.