JAKARTA - Pope Leo XIV officially started his government on Sunday by reaching conservatives who feel neglected under his predecessors, calling for unity, vowing to preserve the legacy of the Catholic Church and not ruling like "an autocrat".
The masses chanted "Viva il Papa" (Long live the Pope) and "Papa Leone", his name in Italian, as he waved from an open whale car ahead of his inauguration Mass, which was attended by dozens of world leaders.
After the first trip by whale car through a crowd estimated at 200,000 people in St. Peter's Square and the surrounding streets, Pope Leo XIV was officially sworn in as the 267th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church in an outdoor Mass.
The sympathizers waved the flags of the United States and Peru, with people from both countries claiming to be the first Pope of their country. Born in Chicago, Pope Leo XIV (69) spent years as a missionary in Peru and also owned Peruvian citizenship.
Since becoming the Pope, Leo XIV has hinted at some of his top priorities for his papality, including warnings about the dangers posed by artificial intelligence and the importance of bringing peace to the world and to the Church itself.
Francis' papal leaves a divided Church, with conservatives accusing him of sowing confusion, particularly with his spontaneous statements about sexual morality issues such as same-sex relationships.
Pope Leo XIV used the words "unitation" or "sature" seven times on Sunday and the word "harmony" four times.
"This has never been a question about seizing others with violence, with religious propaganda or with power. On the other hand, this is always and only a matter of loving, as Jesus does," he said, referring to the war of words between Catholics who define themselves as conservative or progressive. , as reported by Reuters on May 19.
The conservatives also accused Pope Francis of arbitrarily ruling and regretted that he underestimated their concerns and did not consult widely before making decisions.
Referring to St. Peter, Pope Leo XIV said: "Petrus must grazing sheep without ever giving up on the temptation to become an autocrat, control those entrusted to him. Instead, he was called to serve the faith of his brothers and walk with them."
Robert Provost, a less-known person in the world and only became a cardinal two years ago, was elected pope on May 8 after the conclave of the electoral cardinals.
He replaced Pope Francis, an Argentine, who died on April 21 after leading the Church for 12 years often full of turmoil, where he fought against traditionalists and defended the poor and marginalized.
In his fluent Italian sermon, Pope Leo XIV said as leader of 1.4 billion Roman Catholics in the world, he would continue Fransiskus' legacy on social issues such as fighting poverty and protecting the environment.
He promised to face "questions, concerns, and challenges of the world today" and, as a form of respect for conservatives, he promised to preserve "the legacy of the rich Christian faith", which has repeatedly called for unity.
In a brief call at the end of Mass, Pope Leo XIV discussed several global conflicts. He said Ukraine became a "martir", a phrase often used by Pope Francis, and called for "fair and lasting peace" there.
He also mentioned the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, saying people in the Palestinian enclave were "let by hunger".
Many world leaders attended the ceremony, including Israeli, Peruvian and Nigerian Presidents, Italian, Canadian and Australian prime ministers, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
United States Vice President JD Vance and Foreign Minister Marco Rubio were also present.
The European aristocrats also occupied VIP seats near the main altar, including King Felipe of Spain and Ratu Letizia.
Pope Leo XIV held the hands of many at the end of the ceremony, and hugged his brother Louis, who came from Florida.
SEE ALSO:
As part of the ceremony, Pope Leo XIV received two symbolic items: a liturgical robe known as pallium, a cross-section of sheep which symbolizes his role as auher, and a "fisher's ring", which reminds us of St. Peter, who is a fisherman.
Ceremonial gold seal rings are made specifically for each new whale and can be used by Pope Leo XIV to seal documents, even though these goals are no longer used in modern times.
The ring shows St. Peter holding the key to Heaven and will be broken after his death or resignation.
The English, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, and French versions are automatically generated by the AI. So there may still be inaccuracies in translating, please always see Indonesian as our main language. (system supported by DigitalSiber.id)
