AS HE officially began his Petrine ministry on May 18, Pope Leo XIV pledged a pontificate dedicated to love and unity under Christ.
“I was chosen, without any merit of my own, and now, with fear and trembling, I come to you as a brother, who desires to be the servant of your faith and your joy, walking with you on the path of God’s love, for he wants us all to be united in one family,” the pontiff said in his homily in front of tens of thousands at St. Peter’s Square.
The former Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost said the times called for unity that can serve as “leaven for a reconciled world.”
“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’s resources and marginalises the poorest,” he said. “For our part, we want to be a small leaven of unity, communion and fraternity within the world.”
Emphasizing his desire for a missionary Church, Pope Leo XIV added that there is no room in the Church to shun other people solely because of differences.
”We are called to offer God’s love to everyone, in order to achieve that unity which does not cancel out differences but values the personal history of each person and the social and religious culture of every people,” he said.
For Leo, the pope must take the lead in promoting unity and peace in the world because as successor to St. Peter, he is called to “love more.”
“The ministry of Peter is distinguished precisely by this self-sacrificing love, because the Church of Rome presides in charity and its true authority is the charity of Christ,” he said.
The solemn liturgical rites officially marked the start of Pope Leo XIV’s Petrine ministry as the 267th Supreme Pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church.
The rites included the conferral of the episcopal symbols of the papacy the pallium, a lamb’s wool vestment symbolizing the Pope’s responsibility as shepherd of the universal Church, and the Ring of the Fisherman, which symbolizes the Pope’s authority.
The conferral rites were conducted by representatives of the three ranks of the College of Cardinals.
Cardinal Mario Zenari of the order of cardinal deacons presented the pallium.
Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo Besungu, representative of the cardinal priests, recited a prayer and expressed reverence.
Representing the cardinal bishops was Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, who presented the Ring of the Fisherman.
Approximately 100,000 faithful gathered at St. Peter’s Square, which the pontiff greeted as he entered St. Peter’s Square on his popemobile.
The inaugural Mass was attended by high-ranking diplomats and heads of state, including the King of Spain Felipe VI, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky, and US Vice President J.D. Vance.
