An estimated 250,000 pilgrims and a distinguished array of world leaders and royals, including US Vice President JD Vance, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, and Britain's Prince Edward, are expected to converge on St. Peter’s Square for the inaugural mass of Pope Leo XIV. This momentous service, set to begin on Sunday at 10 AM local time, marks the official commencement of the papacy of the first US pontiff in the history of the Roman Catholic Church.
The Chicago-born Cardinal Robert Prevost, aged 69, was elected to succeed the late Pope Francis earlier this month after a conclave that lasted less than 26 hours. The assembly of cardinals swiftly recognized Prevost’s leadership potential, ushering in a new era for the papacy.
In addition to Vance and Zelenskyy, other prominent world leaders attending the inaugural mass include Israeli President Isaac Herzog, Argentinian President Javier Milei, and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Their presence underscores the global significance of this event, highlighting the interconnectedness of faith and diplomacy.
Following tradition, Pope Leo XIV is anticipated to arrive in St. Peter’s Square aboard a popemobile, where he will take time to greet the enthusiastic crowd. After this, a procession of cardinals will accompany the pope into St. Peter’s Basilica, where he will receive two significant gifts that symbolize the papacy.
The first gift is a gold signet fisherman’s ring, named in honor of St. Peter, the first pope and a fisherman by trade. This ring signifies both the beginning and end of a papacy; upon the death of a pontiff, it is destroyed by a senior cardinal. Historically, until 1842, the ring was also used to seal official documents signed by the pope.
The second gift, a lamb’s wool pallium, represents the pope’s role as a shepherd. This ceremonial garment is draped over the pope's shoulders before the mass commences, symbolizing his pastoral responsibilities to the Church and its followers.
JD Vance, who had a brief encounter with Pope Francis the day before his passing, along with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, will represent the United States at the inaugural mass. Before his election, Prevost was vocal about his criticisms of Donald Trump’s administration, particularly concerning its immigration policies. In February, he shared an op-ed titled "JD Vance is wrong: Jesus doesn’t ask us to rank our love for others," which was published in the National Catholic Reporter, following comments made by Vance during a Fox News interview.
The Vatican has not confirmed or denied the authenticity of Prevost's social media posts, which have led to significant backlash from Trump's hardline conservative supporters. Activist Laura Loomer remarked on X, stating, "He is anti-Trump, anti-MAGA, pro-open Borders, and a total Marxist like Pope Francis."
Pope Leo XIV plans to maintain an active presence on social media through official papal accounts on X and Instagram. According to statements from the Vatican, the pope's X account, @Pontifex, communicates in nine languages to a following of over 52 million users. In one of his inaugural posts, Leo emphasized the importance of dialogue among nations: “The Holy See is willing to help enemies meet, so they may look each other in the eye and so people may be given back the dignity they deserve: the dignity of peace. With heart in hand, I say to the leaders of nations: let us meet; let us dialogue; let us negotiate!”
