Pope Leo XIV formally began his ministry as the head of the Catholic Church on Sunday, addressing an estimated 150,000 people gathered in St. Peter’s Square for his inaugural Mass. “I would like that our first great desire be for a united Church, a sign of unity and communion, which becomes a leaven for a reconciled world,” he said, according to CNA.
Leo XIV was elected as the 267th pope on May 8, succeeding Pope Francis, who led the Church through a period of internal division over liturgy and moral doctrine, including controversies surrounding the blessing of same-sex couples. In his homily, Leo emphasized the need for fraternal communion and unity, stating, “For our part, we want to be a small leaven of unity, communion, and fraternity within the world.”
During the Mass, the pope received the symbols of his office — the pallium and the fisherman’s ring — in a symbolic rite that included an act of obedience and fidelity from representatives of the College of Cardinals and the faithful. The pallium, a narrow band made of white lamb’s wool, was draped over Leo’s shoulders as a symbol of the bishop as the good shepherd and Christ the Lamb crucified. The fisherman’s ring, a gold insignia engraved with the image of St. Peter, symbolizes the papal authority as the “fisher of men.” According to CNA, “With visible emotion, Leo received the fisherman’s ring from Cardinal Luis Tagle, looking at the ring and then lifting his face in prayer.”
Pope Leo XIV also reflected on the expectations of his role as the successor of St. Peter. “If the rock is Christ, Peter must shepherd the flock without ever yielding to the temptation to be an autocrat, lording it over those entrusted to him,” he said, underscoring his commitment to pastoral care and service.
The pope’s focus on unity extended beyond the Catholic Church. Leaders from other Christian denominations, as well as representatives of Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh, Zoroastrianism, and Jainism religions, attended the Mass, demonstrating a collective desire for peace and reconciliation in a divided world. “Love and unity: These are the two dimensions of the mission entrusted to Peter by Jesus,” the pope said, quoting St. Augustine: “The Church consists of all those who are in harmony with their brothers and sisters and who love their neighbor.”
Pope Leo XIV concluded the Mass by urging for “a just and lasting peace” in regions plagued by conflict, including Gaza, Myanmar, and Ukraine, before singing the Regina Caeli, a Marian antiphon for the Easter season. His closing words echoed a message of hope and unity, inviting the faithful to “build a Church founded on God’s love… a sign of unity, a missionary Church that opens its arms to the world.”
