{"id":54211,"date":"2025-05-18T15:43:26","date_gmt":"2025-05-18T15:43:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/pope-leo-xiv-begins-papacy-with-plea-for-church-unity-and-protection-of-the\/"},"modified":"2025-05-20T10:43:02","modified_gmt":"2025-05-20T10:43:02","slug":"pope-leo-xiv-begins-papacy-with-plea-for-church-unity-and-protection-of-the","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/pope-leo-xiv-begins-papacy-with-plea-for-church-unity-and-protection-of-the\/","title":{"rendered":"Pope Leo XIV begins papacy with plea for church unity and protection of the poor"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The first American pope and 267th pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church, Leo used his inaugural Mass to set the tone for what appears to be a pastoral and socially conscious papacy.<\/p>\n<p>St. Peter\u2019s Square was filled with an estimated 100,000 faithful at the start of the liturgy, a crowd that swelled to 200,000 as the two-hour ceremony progressed. <\/p>\n<p>The Mass, steeped in centuries-old tradition, was attended by dignitaries, royalty, and worshippers from across the globe, including U.S. Vice-President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and Peru\u2019s President Dina Boluarte \u2014 the leader of the country where Pope Leo previously served as a missionary and bishop.<\/p>\n<p>Before the Mass began, the 69-year-old pontiff, born Robert Prevost, toured the square in the open-air popemobile, warmly greeting the cheering crowds and pausing to kiss a child. As chants of &#8216;Viva il Papa!&#8217; (Long live the Pope) echoed across the square, Leo\u2019s humility and calm demeanour were on full display.<\/p>\n<p>In his homily \u2014 widely seen as a declaration of papal priorities \u2014 Pope Leo called for healing within a Church often divided between conservatives and reformers. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere is no room in the Church for propaganda or power plays,\u201d he said. \u201cThis is the hour for love.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He also issued a sharp rebuke of global economic systems that \u201cexploit the Earth\u2019s resources and marginalise the poorest.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>Calling on Catholics to serve \u201cnot with superiority, but with humility,\u201d Leo emphasised a missionary spirit rooted in compassion and respect for diversity: \u201cWe are called to offer God\u2019s love to everyone, in order to achieve that unity which does not cancel out differences but values the personal history of each person.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Mass included several striking moments of symbolism: the bestowing of the pallium, a lamb\u2019s wool vestment representing his role as shepherd, and the Ring of the Fisherman, engraved with the image of St. Peter and Leo XIV\u2019s name, symbolising his role as Peter\u2019s successor. As the ring was placed on his finger, Leo appeared visibly moved, glancing down in quiet reflection.<\/p>\n<p>In a solemn close to the liturgy, Leo offered prayers for peace in Ukraine and Gaza. \u201cWe pray for a just and lasting peace,\u201d he said. \u201cFor children, families, the elderly, survivors \u2014 those reduced to hunger and sorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Since his election on May 8, Pope Leo has signalled a blend of continuity and change. He has embraced tradition, including Latin liturgy and ornate vestments, while also launching a papal Instagram account and making early appeals for interfaith dialogue and global peace.<\/p>\n<p>He has also struck a chord with many, from traditionalists to reformers, with his calls to uphold human dignity, protect migrants, and prioritise the needs of the marginalised. <\/p>\n<p>Next Sunday, Pope Leo XIV will take formal possession of the Basilica of St. John Lateran, the cathedral of the bishop of Rome, marking the canonical start of a papacy already being watched closely around the world.<\/p>\n<p>He succeeds Pope Francis, who passed away on April 21 after a long illness.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-87408 aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/cq5dam.thumbnail.cropped.1500_844.jpg\" alt=\"Newly elected Pope Leo XIV began his papacy on Sunday with an impassioned appeal for unity within the Catholic Church and a firm condemnation of systems that exploit the poor. \" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-87410 aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/grorzggwiaaownm_1_.jpg\" alt=\"Pope Leo XIV receives the Ring of the Fisherman from Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle during the Mass of Inauguration in St. Peter\u2019s Square on Sunday, May 18. \" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-87407 aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/webp\/ap25138324185287.webp\" alt=\"As the ring was placed on his finger, Leo appeared visibly moved, glancing down in quiet reflection.\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-87411 aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/grorz96xmaaoeqa_1_.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-87406 aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/ring1.jpg\" alt=\"The \u201cRing of the Fisherman,\u201d engraved with the image of St. Peter and the pope\u2019s name and seal, marks the official start of his papacy.\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-87405 aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/ring3.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-87412 aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/grotd_3w4aaprda.jpg\" alt=\"The Mass, steeped in centuries-old tradition, was attended by dignitaries, royalty, and worshippers from across the globe, including U.S. Vice-President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and Peru\u2019s President Dina Boluarte\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-87413 aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/grn6bwdxmaa_l1h.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-87415 aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/grotbkyx0aalzoz.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-87414 aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/grotystweaehl06.jpg\" alt=\"St. Peter\u2019s Square was filled with an estimated 100,000 faithful at the start of the liturgy, a crowd that swelled to 200,000 as the two-hour ceremony progressed. \" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-87409 aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/grn-xafxkaannq4_1_.jpg\" alt=\"Pope Leo greets crowds from popemobile during his inauguration Mass on Sunday, May 18, 2025.\" \/><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Newly elected Pope Leo XIV began his papacy on Sunday with an impassioned appeal for unity within the Catholic Church and a firm condemnation of systems that exploit the poor. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":131,"featured_media":2000087418,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[75],"byline":[192],"hashtag":[],"class_list":["post-54211","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-homenews","byline-wycliffe-nyamasege"],"bylines":[{"id":192,"name":"Wycliffe Nyamasege","slug":"wycliffe-nyamasege","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default avatar","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","sizes":[]},"user_id":131}],"contributors":[{"id":192,"name":"Wycliffe Nyamasege","slug":"wycliffe-nyamasege","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default 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