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    Pope Leo Calls for Diversity in Unity as He Begins His Pontificate

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    Presiding over a Mass in St. Peter’s Square on Sunday, Leo was inaugurated as the first American pope, in a ceremony filled with ancient and symbolic rituals.Leo XIV on Sunday celebrated an outdoor Mass formally inaugurating him as the 267th pope of the Roman Catholic Church, telling world leaders, the assembled hierarchy of his church and more than 100,000 faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square that the church needed a new unity that recognized its diversity.In his homily, the new pontiff sought to bridge the divisions in the church between those who want to engage with the modern world by pushing ahead with the inclusive approach of Francis, his predecessor, and more conservative elements who favor a return to an emphasis on the church’s traditions.The cardinals tasked with electing a pope, he said, had sought a “shepherd capable of preserving the rich heritage of the Christian faith and at the same time, looking to the future, in order to confront the questions, concerns and challenges of today’s world.”Leo, an American who has Peruvian citizenship, also said in his homily, that “I was chosen, without any merit of my own, and now, with fear and trembling, I come to you as a brother.” He added that he wanted “us all to be united in one family.”The morning also marked Pope Leo’s first steps into a global role. He met on Sunday with President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine, which he said, “awaits negotiations for a fair and lasting peace,” called for peace in Myanmar and urged the world not to forget those “reduced to hunger.”Vice President JD Vance, who had a contentious meeting in the White House earlier this year with Mr. Zelensky, was also in attendance and shook hands briefly with the Ukrainian leader before the Mass began. After the Mass, Mr. Vance, who the White House called “the first Catholic convert,” to serve in the position, briefly shook the pope’s hand on a long receiving line of dignitaries and royals.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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      Until 60 Years Ago, New Popes Were Crowned

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      Pope Leo XIV presided over his inaugural Mass on Sunday. Years ago, it would have included a solemn moment when the pontiff was crowned with an elaborate gold and jewel-encrusted papal tiara.In the book “A Reporter at the Papal Court,” published in 1937, Thomas B. Morgan, then the head of The United Press bureau in Rome wrote that Pope Pius XI’s inauguration ceremony in 1922 had been “more dazzling and colorful” that the coronation of the king of England.One wow factor would have been the moment of the coronation of the pope. From the 12th century until Paul VI stopped using a papal crown in 1964, the installation Mass included a solemn moment when the pontiff was crowned with an elaborate gold and jewel-encrusted tiara.The pope would not wear the tiara during liturgical ceremonies “but only when entering and exiting certain solemn ceremonies,” said Rev. Stefano Sanchirico, co-author of a book on papal rituals.Paul VI stopped using the tiara and chose to wear a miter instead, as his successors have done. That papal tiara ended up in the United States, where it is now in the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C.In his homily during his inauguration Mass on Oct. 22, 1978, Pope John Paul II noted that popes had been crowned in the past, but said the focus should be elsewhere. “This is not the time to return to a ceremony and an object considered, wrongly, to be a symbol of the temporal power of the Popes,” he said.Archival footage offers a glimpse of the grandeur of the ceremony. A 1939 film that includes the coronation of Pope Pius XII shows crowds roaring in St. Peter’s Square, as he was carried on an elevated throne through the atrium of the basilica. The pope then moved to a balcony and was crowned.A film of the coronation of Pope John XXIII in 1958 shows him being crowned, with the narrator proclaiming him: “The vicar of Christ on earth.”Doing away with the crown was not the only way in which Paul VI looked to open the church to the modern world: He also moved the ceremony outside to the area in front of the basilica, where he was carried through the crowd on a raised throne by sediari, a lay brotherhood that still has a role in the Vatican — they were the pallbearers who carried Pope Francis’ coffin. More

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      Pope Leo’s Classmates Drew Ire of Church With Protest for Women

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      As the 17 young men preparing to be ordained as Catholic priests entered the sanctuary at St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church in Chicago, they each pinned a tiny light-blue ribbon to their white robes. The gesture was small but explosive: It signified their belief that women, too, should be allowed into the priesthood.It was April 1981, and the men were students at Catholic Theological Union, a divinity school founded in the 1960s and still on fire with the era’s radical spirit. Women’s ordination as Catholic priests was one of the most urgent topics for men and women on campus, the subject of constant discussion, organizing and, for many, optimism.One of their classmates was Robert Prevost, who was named pope last week. As Leo XIV, he now leads a global church that has firmly closed the door on the question of women as priests, but has left open the possibility that women could someday be ordained as deacons, the step before the priesthood. Robert Prevost as a student at Catholic Theological Union.Catholic Theological UnionThe men at St. Thomas in 1981 were there to be ordained as deacons. Many in the sanctuary that day recall it vividly decades later. First, the prelate presiding over the ceremony, Bishop Alfred Abramowicz of Chicago, refused to continue unless the men removed their ribbons. (At least one quietly refused, moving his ribbon to a less visible placement.)A woman in the choir joined the protesters halfway through the ceremony, her high heels clicking down the center aisle of the sanctuary. Then, as part of the proceedings, the bishop asked the men individually by name if they were “ready and willing” to serve.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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      Pope Leo XIV Calls for News Media to Shun Divisive Language

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      In his first audience with the press as pontiff, Leo renewed his pleas for a more peaceful world and quoted his predecessor, Pope Francis, who had called for communication that is free from aggression.Pope Leo XIV used his first audience with the press on Monday to appeal to journalists to help cool the heated language of today’s media landscape, as he renewed his calls for a more peaceful world.Echoing some thoughts from his predecessor, Pope Francis, Leo called for the use of moderate language in presenting facts to the world.“Let us disarm communication of all prejudice and resentment, fanaticism and even hatred; let us free it from aggression,” Leo told more than 1,000 journalists, including the Vatican Press corps, who gathered in an auditorium in Vatican City on Monday. “We do not need loud, forceful communication but rather communication that is capable of listening,” he added, delivering his address in Italian.In words that were likely to win him points with his audience, he also spoke of the need for people to be informed in order to make sound decisions and of “the precious gift of free speech and of the press.”The newly elected pope took the stage to a rapturous ovation from members of the news media, some of whom will continue to report on his papacy, and some who flew in to spend days and weeks reporting on the death and funeral of Francis, as well as the conclave that elected Leo. Leo’s address, a papal tradition, was frequently interrupted by applause.The last five popes have held audiences with the media in the first days of their papacy. The event reflects the Vatican’s recognition of the value of public communication and its desire to have a good relationship with the news media that reports on it.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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      ‘Viva Papa Leo!’ At U.S. Masses, Dawn of Homegrown Pope Brings an Air of Electricity.

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      The Rev. Gosbert Rwezahura opened Mass on Sunday morning by saying what everyone in the pews was thinking. “Habemus papam!” he exclaimed at Christ Our Savior Parish in South Holland, Ill. Beaming, he added, “He is one of our own!”It was the first Sunday in American history with an American pope seated on the throne of St. Peter in Rome. At parishes across the country, Catholics filed into the pews with a sense of wonder, hope and pride over Pope Leo XIV.At Christ Our Savior, the pride was personal: Today’s parish was formed from others in the area around the South Side of Chicago that includes a now-closed church where the pope attended as a child.Father Rwezahura put it simply: “We are the home parish of the pope!”“I’m so full and so proud, I don’t know what to do,” said Janice I. Sims, 75. “I’m definitely blessed because I lived long enough to see it happen.” Others there traded anecdotes about brushes with the future pope, back when he was known as Robert Prevost: the music director who played at a wedding he officiated, the deacon who went to high school where his mother was the school librarian.At the standing-room-only 10:30 a.m. Mass at Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago, the Rev. Ton Nguyen began his homily by exclaiming “Viva Papa Leo the 14th!” The congregation applauded. Outside the church, yellow and white bunting hung in celebration.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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      Pope Leo XIV Calls for End to War in First Sunday Blessing as Pontiff

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      The new pope echoed themes that Francis, his predecessor, regularly addressed, as he appeared in front of thousands of the faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square.Pope Leo XIV on Sunday returned to the balcony where he was presented to the world as the new leader of the Roman Catholic church just days ago, using his first Sunday address to the faithful to call for peace.“Never again war,” he said to a roar from the massive crowd that had gathered in St. Peter’s Square, an appeal he addressed to the world’s most powerful leaders. He noted that it was almost 80 years to the day that the “immense tragedy” of World War II ended and quoted Pope Francis, his predecessor, who often referred to the current wave of violence globally as “a third world war in pieces.”Leo called for an “authentic, just and lasting peace” in Ukraine and the freeing of all prisoners in that war. The pope said that children should be returned to their families. Although he did not specify which children he was referring to, many Ukrainian children have been taken to Russia during the war against their family’s wishes.Leo also made a plea for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza and for humanitarian aid to be allowed to be distributed “to the exhausted civilian population” in the territory, as well as the return of the hostages taken in Hamas’ assault on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.Leo’s calls for peace in Ukraine and a cease-fire in Gaza echoed themes that Francis spoke about regularly in his Sunday addresses.Thousands gathered in St. Peter’s Square to hear Pope Leo’s first Sunday address as pontiff.Marko Djurica/ReutersHe sent a special greeting to “all mothers” as families celebrated Mother’s Day in Italy, the United States and some other countries.Sunday also marked the World Day of Prayer for Vocations, he noted. Leo said he prayed along with the faithful that more Catholics take up vocations to the priesthood and religious orders. “The Church has such a great need for them!” he said. The number of people joining the priesthood and religious orders has been declining in many countries.Candice Dias from California, was in the square to hear the pope deliver his first traditional Sunday blessing at noon local time. “He seems to be very down to earth,” she said. “He’s humble.”Leo has been busy since he became pope. On Friday, he celebrated his first Mass in the Sistine Chapel as pontiff with the cardinals who had elected him the previous day. In his homily, he pledged to align himself with “ordinary people” and not with the rich and powerful. The pope met with the cardinals again on Saturday, saying he would continue the work of Francis in steering the church in a more missionary direction, greater cooperation among church leaders and a closeness to marginalized people.Ms. Dias added that now that the conclave that elected him pope was over, she hoped her tour of the Vatican, scheduled for Monday, would include the Sistine Chapel. The chapel had been closed to the public even before the conclave began to prepare it for the vote but is set to reopen on Monday. More

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      How Front Pages Around the World Covered the Selection of Pope Leo XIV

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      In a digital age, the front pages of print newspapers can still capture a historic moment as they did on Friday with word-playing headlines, splashy photos and a dose of solemnity.Newspapers around the world on Friday covered the election of a new pope, Robert Francis Prevost, who took the name Leo XIV, with big photos, plays on words and nods to his nationalities.Pope Leo XIV, who was born in Chicago, made history as the first North American pope, and plenty of tabloids and broadsheets played up his background as an American.Many newspapers used the Latin phrase “Habemus papam,” which means “We have a pope.” For English newspapers, it was a rare appearance of a foreign phrase in a headline.Chicago TribuneDaily RecordCardinal Dominique Mamberti of France used that phrase, prompting cheers, after he emerged on the papal balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica to introduce the new pope.Overwhelmingly, newspapers ran with images of Leo XIV as he greeted the world as pope for the first time, waving to crowds from the papal balcony.L’Osservatore Romano, the Vatican newspaper, which is in Italian, had a full-page spread with a Latin headline that translated to: “We have a Pope. Robert Francis Prevost who gave himself the name Leo XIV.”Many foreign outlets highlighted Pope Leo XIV’s American roots.The Irish Daily Mirror led with “Let U.S. Pray” and Le Temps, a Swiss French-language newspaper, went with “HabemUS Papam.”The Sun, a British tabloid, declared “God Bless American.”Irish Daily MirrorThe SunNewspapers in Chicago highlighted the pope, who grew up in Dolton, Ill., a Chicago suburb, as a hometown hero.The Chicago Tribune claimed Pope Leo XIV for the city, writing “Chicago’s pope.”The front page of The Chicago Sun-Times read “DA POPE!” in a cheeky allusion to the Chicago Bears, the football team nicknamed by fans as “Da Bears.”The front page of The Chicago Sun-Times on Friday.Nam Y. Huh/Associated PressThe Philadelphia Inquirer, which carried the headline “An American Pope,” was quick to note in a subhead that Pope Leo XIV is an alumnus of Villanova University, the Catholic school based in a Philadelphia suburb.While Corriere della Sera of Milan said “Il Papa americano,” Peru’s Correo proclaimed “UN PAPA PERUANO.”Though Pope Leo XIV is not of Peruvian birth, some in the country have claimed him as one of their own. He lived in Peru as a missionary for many years, before serving as the bishop of the Diocese of Chiclayo, a city in northern Peru, from 2015 to 2023.The Record, El Mercurio, Blick, World JournalA display of front pages from Peruvian newspapers celebrating the new pope at a newsstand in Chiclayo, Peru.Marco Garro for The New York TimesEl Mercurio, a Chilean newspaper, compromised in its headline, calling Pope Leo XIV both Peruvian and American. (He is a dual citizen.)Some newspapers decided to lead with the pope’s papal name instead of his background or nationality.Plenty of outlets, from Diário de Notícias in Portugal and Libération in France, had headlines that said “Leo.” These outlets chose to publish a more pious posture, picturing Pope Leo XIV with his hands clasped in prayer.Others quoted Pope Leo XIV’s first message as the leader of the Catholic Church: “‘Peace be with you,’” read The San Francisco Chronicle headline.Diário de Notícias LibérationNewspapers featuring the new pope on the front page at a vendor in downtown Nairobi, Kenya.Simon Maina/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images More

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      World Catholics See the First American Pope as Hardly American

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      Catholics around the world were skeptical at first about an American pope. But Pope Leo XIV’s multicultural and multilingual identity has put them at ease.The surprising election of the first American pope felt fraught and disorienting to Roman Catholics around the world, who had considered such an outcome unlikely and perhaps unwelcome — until Pope Leo XIV stepped onto the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica and chose to speak a few sentences in Spanish.In an instant, the new pope, formerly Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, signaled that his identity would defy easy categorization. He chose in that pivotal moment on Thursday evening not to say anything in English or mention the United States. He seemed intent on conveying the message that he was not a typical American.It worked. Pope Leo, who was born in Chicago, has Creole heritage, lived in Peru for decades and speaks at least three languages, established himself as a citizen of the world. Catholics around the globe raced to claim pieces of his multicultural and multilingual background as their own.”He considers himself American, but he also considers himself Peruvian,” said Julia Caillet, a 33-year-old osteopath, who was in line outside Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris for a special service for young Catholics celebrating the new pope on Friday evening. “He is a priest of the world.”At a time when President Trump has isolated the United States from its diplomatic allies and trade partners and upended much of the world order, some Catholics worried that an American pontiff might somehow bring the Roman Catholic Church closer to the tumultuous American government.Instead, Pope Leo appears to have reassured them, at least for now, that he would preserve the church as a global moral voice calling for peace and justice, especially for migrants, the poor and victims of war, in the mold of Pope Francis.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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      Pope Leo XIV Outlines Path for Catholic Church That Follows in Francis’ Steps

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      The new pope said he would be guided by a key document that his predecessor wrote listing the church’s priorities, including a “loving care for the least and the rejected.”In his first formal address to Roman Catholic cardinals, Pope Leo XIV on Saturday said he would continue the work of Pope Francis in steering the church in a more missionary direction, with greater cooperation among church leaders and a closeness to the marginalized.Leo said he was committed to following a path of modernization that the Church began in the 1960s, and cited a major document that Francis issued in 2013. From that document, Leo highlighted multiple objectives, including “growth in collegiality,” “popular piety,” a “loving care for the least and the rejected,” and “courageous and trusting dialogue with the contemporary world.”“Francis masterfully and concretely set it forth,” Leo said, referring to the document, called Evangelii Gaudium.The new pope also explained the choice of his name. The previous pope with his name, Leo XIII, issued a document called the “Rerum Novarum,” known in English as “Rights and Duties of Capital and Labor,” in the late 19th century in which he emphasized the church’s right to make assertions about social issues as they related to moral questions.The document “addressed the social question in the context of the first great industrial revolution,” Leo explained.Now, the pope added, another industrial revolution was taking place in the field of artificial intelligence. That, he said, would “pose new challenges for the defense of human dignity, justice and labor.”The church, he said, “offers to everyone the treasury of her social teaching in response.”The reference to Francis’ document was not the only endorsement that the new pope gave of his predecessor. Francis, Leo noted, was a “humble servant of God and of his brothers and sisters,” who gave an “example of complete dedication to service and to sober simplicity of life.”The cardinals appeared to have noted the message about maintaining the direction set by Francis’ papacy.As he exited the meeting where Leo spoke, Cardinal Baltazar Enrique Porras Cardozo of Venezuela said the pope “spoke about the continuity of the pontificate of Francis and then he asked some questions to us.” Those questions were “mostly about the formation of priests and bishops,” the cardinal added.On his way out of the meeting, Cardinal Sean Brady of Ireland said that Leo was in the process of “greeting everybody now, which is very nice.”Jason Horowitz More