Under the Roman sun, a pope greeted his people.
Through the tens of thousands gathered in St Peter’s Square, Leo XIV made his way.
Pope Leo’s inaugural mass – as it happened
Riding in an open-top Popemobile, the 267th pontiff looked relaxed as he smiled and waved at the faithful.
Every now and then he would stop to bless babies in the crowd who were passed up to him by their delighted parents.
People wearing the flags of countries from every corner of the world held up phones as he passed, desperately hoping to capture the historic moment.
The joy and exhilaration were palpable.
Then after the excitement, there was a moment of reflection as Leo XIV prayed at the tomb of the first ever pope, St Peter, before retracing the journey of pontiffs past and making his way to the outside altar.
In front of princes, presidents, and the public, Leo received the symbols of the papacy: first the pallium was laid around his shoulders and then the fisherman’s ring placed on his finger.
The person who had that honour was the Filipino cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, a man who just over a week ago many thought would be standing in Leo’s place.
It was at this point the enormity of the moment seemed to hit home as the new pontiff stared at the ring on his finger and perhaps pondered the weight of responsibility he had been given as the leader of 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide.
And what type of leader will he be?
His inaugural mass gave some hints through the homily of a seemingly humble man.
“I was chosen, without any merit of my own, and now, with fear and trembling, I come to you as a brother, who desires to be the servant of your faith and your joy,” he told the masses.
Again, Leo presented himself as a pontiff pledging to sow peace and unity, and critical of economic systems that marginalise the poor.
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The Pope then prepared the holy communion, while the crowd shook hands and offered each other the sign of peace.
And that message of peace was one he would return to at the end of the mass.
“We cannot forget our brothers and sisters who are suffering because of war.
“In Gaza, the surviving children, families, and elderly are reduced to starvation. In Myanmar, new hostilities have cut short innocent young lives.
“Finally, war-torn Ukraine awaits negotiations for a just and lasting peace,” the Pope said.
Message of peace impressed on VIPs
No doubt peace was a point Leo also emphasised to waiting VIPs.
Among those he greeted after the mass were US vice president JD Vance and the president of Israel.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was granted a special private meeting with the pontiff and later posted on X about it.
“We thank the Vatican for its willingness to serve as a platform for direct negotiations between Ukraine and Russia,” he said.
Amid all the symbolism and ceremony, it was perhaps the hug with his brother Louis that underlined just how much Leo’s life has changed.
A cardinal from Chicago is now one of the most powerful leaders in the world.
As the crowd celebrated this historic day, the Pope appeared to be already contemplating the challenges ahead – the daunting task of trying to bring unity to an increasingly divided world.
