Pope Leo to take charge of Catholic Church at grandiose inaugural Mass

ROME, 18th May, 2025 (WAM) – Pope Leo XIV will formally take up his role as leader of the global Catholic Church on Sunday, with a Mass in St. Peter's Square that will draw tens of thousands of well-wishers, including dozens of world leaders and European royalty, Reuters reported.

Crowds are expected to cram the Square and surrounding streets in Rome for the formal celebration, which starts at 10:00 a.m. (0800 GMT) and includes the first ride in the white popemobile by Leo, the first pope from the United States.

Born in Chicago, the 69-year-old pontiff spent many years as a missionary in Peru and also has Peruvian citizenship, meaning he is also the first pope from that South American nation.

US Vice President JD Vance will lead a US delegation. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and many European royals will also attend.

Sunday's Mass will feature prayers in several languages, in a nod to the global reach of the 1.4-billion member Church, including Latin, Italian, Greek, Portuguese, French, Arabic, Polish, and Chinese.