VATICAN CITY (AP) 鈥� history鈥檚 first American pope, vowed Sunday to work for unity so that the Catholic Church becomes a sign of peace in the world, offering a message of communion during in St. Peter鈥檚 Square before tens of thousands of people, presidents, patriarchs and princes.
Leo officially opened his pontificate by taking his first popemobile tour through the piazza, a rite of passage that has become synonymous with the papacy鈥檚 global reach and mediatic draw. smiled and waved from the back of the truck, but didn鈥檛 appear to stop to kiss babies and the crowd.
During the Mass, Leo appeared to choke up when the two potent symbols of the papacy were placed on him 鈥� the pallium woolen stole over his shoulders and the fisherman鈥檚 ring on his finger 鈥� as if the weight of responsibility of leading the 1.4-billion strong church had just sunk in.
He turned his hand to look at the ring and seal and then clasped his hands in front of him in prayer.
Security was tight as civil protection crews in neon uniforms funneled pilgrims into quadrants in the piazza and up and down the boulevard that leads to it for the ceremony blending ancient ritual, evocative symbols and a dose of modern-day celebrity.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance, one of the last foreign officials to , led the U.S. delegation honoring the Chicago-born Leo after paying his respects at the Argentine pope's tomb upon arriving in Rome late Saturday.
The theme of Leo's papacy
In his homily, Leo said he wanted to be a servant to the faithful through the two dimensions of the papacy, love and unity, so that the church could be a force for peace in the world.
鈥淚 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,鈥� he said. 鈥淚n this our time, we still see too much discord, too many wounds caused by hatred, violence, prejudice, the fear of difference, and an economic paradigm that exploits the Earth鈥檚 resources and marginalises the poorest.鈥�
His call for unity was significant, given the polarization in the Catholic Church in the United States and beyond.
Francis鈥� radical 12-year pontificate, which emphasized care for the poor and marginalized and disdain for the capitalist economic system, often Leo鈥檚 May 8 election, after a remarkably quick 24-hour conclave, has appeared at the outset to have pleased conservative Catholics who seem to appreciate his more disciplined, traditional style and Augustinian background, emphasizing core truths of Catholic doctrine.
鈥淟et us build a church founded on God鈥檚 love, a sign of unity, a missionary church that opens its arms to the world, proclaims the word, allows itself to be made restless by history, and becomes a leaven of harmony for humanity,鈥� he said, referencing some of the themes of Francis' pontificate as well.
Tight security and protocol
Strict diplomatic protocol dictated the seating arrangements at his inaugural Mass, with both the United States and thanks to Leo鈥檚 dual citizenship. Vance, a Catholic convert who over the Trump administration鈥檚 mass migrant deportation plans, is being joined by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who arrived in Rome ahead of time to try to
Peruvian President Dina Boluarte is one of around a dozen heads of state attending, as well as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Russia is being represented by the culture minister, Olga Liubimova.
Diplomatic protocol also dictated the dress code: While most wore black, the handful of Catholic queens and princesses 鈥� Charlene of Monaco and Letizia of Spain among others 鈥� wore white in a special privilege allowed them. Three dozen of the world鈥檚 other Christian churches sent their own delegations, the Jewish community had a 13-member delegation, half of them rabbis. Other representatives headed Buddhist, Muslim, Zoroastrian, Hindu, Sikh and Jain delegations.
Security was tight, as it was for which drew an estimated 250,000 people. Rome authorities are planning for another 250,000 on Sunday. The piazza and main boulevard leading to it, and two nearby piazzas were set up with giant television screens, and dozens of portable toilets have been erected in a nearby park.
Americans are rejoicing
U.S. seminarian Ethan Menning, 21, from Omaha, Nebraska, wrapped himself in an American flag, purchased at a truck stop in Iowa, to celebrate.
鈥淩ome always felt like home for a Catholic, but now coming here and seeing one of our own on the throne of Peter ... it almost makes Jesus himself more accessible,鈥� he said.
Kalen Hill, a pilgrim from the U.S., got to St. Peter's soon after the gates opened at dawn Sunday morning and said he never expected an American would lead the 1.4-billion strong church.
鈥淚 would say all the Americans are emotional about it," he said. "It is really powerful for American Catholics who sometimes feel separated from the world church to be brought in and included in this community through Pope Leo.鈥�
Signs of Leo鈥檚 priorities
The two symbols of the papacy handed to Leo were the pallium, and the . The pallium, draped across his shoulders, symbolizes the pastor carrying his flock as the pope carries the faithful. The ring, which becomes Leo鈥檚 official seal, harks back to Jesus鈥� call to the apostle Peter to cast his fishing nets.
The other symbolically important moment of the Mass was the representational rite of obedience to Leo: Whereas in the past all cardinals would vow obedience to the new pope, more recent papal installations involve representatives of cardinals, bishops, priests, deacons, nuns, married couples and young people participating in the rite.
Gregory and Susan Hudak, who lived for 40 years in the Chicago area, found themselves in Rome after booking a trip in February, with just a faint hope of perhaps glimpsing the pope. Seeing the popemobile pass by in front of them, with the Chicago-born Leo on board, was even better than watching Michael Jordan play, said Gary Hudak, a former altar boy wearing a Chicago Bears hat.
鈥淥riginally, the only hope I had coming here was to see the inside of the Sistine Chapel," he said. "Seeing the pope was not scheduled, it was a long shot hope. And this was a treasure, simple as that.鈥�
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Associated Press writers Giovanna dell'Orto and David Biller, and AP visual journalist Isaia Monteleone contributed to this report.
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Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP鈥檚 with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
Nicole Winfield, The Associated Press
