“The hour of love has come” — New Pope Leo XIV begins his pontificate

The celebrations began with the Holy Father’s panoramic car ride between the sectors of St. Peter’s Square and Via della Conciliazione, where he greeted the pilgrims.

Before the Holy Mass, Pope Leo XIV, accompanied by the Patriarchs of the Eastern Catholic Churches, went down to the tomb of the Holy Apostle Peter, located under the main throne of the basilica. There, the Pontiff spent time in prayer and made a chrism. The episcopal insignia of Peter’s ministry, the pallium and the Fisherman’s Ring, were lying in the same place, which the deacons brought in procession to St. Peter’s Square.

After the Gospel reading, the pallium was imposed and the Fisherman’s Ring was presented. Cardinal Mario Zenari placed the pallium on the Holy Father’s shoulders, Cardinal Friedolin Ambongo Besungu said a prayer invoking the Lord’s special help for the successor of St. Peter, and Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle presented Pope Leo XIV with the seal ring, a symbol of his authority.

In his sermon, the Holy Father addressed the faithful with a profound message of love, unity, and service to the Church and the world.

“I was elected without any merit, and with fear and trembling I come to you as a brother who wants to become a servant of your faith and your joy, walking with you on the path of love of God, who wants to unite us all into one family,” Pope Leo XIV said.

Speaking about the Conclave, the Pope emphasised the action of the Holy Spirit, who “managed to tune different musical instruments so that the strings of our hearts vibrate in a single melody.”

Reflecting on the Gospel passage about the meeting of the resurrected Jesus with the Apostle Peter on Lake Tiberias, the Pope emphasised that Peter’s true ministry is possible only because he “experienced firsthand the boundless and unconditional love of God, even in the hour of fall and denial.”

“Peter is entrusted with the task of ‘loving more’ and giving his life for the flock. Peter’s ministry is marked by this sacrificial love, because the Church of Rome presides over love, and its true power is Christ’s love,” the Pope explained.

The newly elected Pontiff emphasised that the Church is not called to be a place of domination, but a community of “living stones” where all are united through Baptism “in fraternal communion, in the harmony of the Holy Spirit, in the coexistence of diversity.”

“Brothers and sisters, I want this to be our first great aspiration: a united Church, a sign of unity and communion that becomes the leaven of a reconciled world,” the Holy Father emphasised.

At the end of the Holy Mass, Pope Leo XIV said the prayer “Queen of Heaven,” before which he thanked everyone who came to the service on the occasion of the beginning of his Peter’s ministry and also turned his thoughts to the countries suffering from wars, calling for prayer for peace.

“In the joy of faith and communion, we cannot forget about our brothers and sisters who suffer from war. In Gaza, children, families, and the elderly who survived are suffering from hunger. In Myanmar, new fighting has claimed the lives of innocent young people. The martyred Ukraine is waiting for negotiations on a just and lasting peace to finally begin,” the Holy Father said.

In conclusion, the Pope asked to entrust to the Blessed Virgin Mary the ministry of the Bishop of Rome, the Shepherd of the universal Church, encouraging us to look to her as a sign of hope and the Mother of Good Counsel. “Through her intercession, let us ask for the gift of peace, support and consolation for those who suffer, and grace for all of us to be witnesses of the Risen Lord,” he called.

The service was attended by about 200,000 faithful, including pilgrims who arrived on the occasion of the anniversary of church fraternities. The international community was represented by more than 150 official delegations, many of them at the highest level. Ecumenical delegations headed by primates were present, including Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and Patriarch Theophilus III of Jerusalem. The ceremony was also attended by representatives of other religions: Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Zoroastrianism, and Jainism.

Before the official beginning of his pontificate, Pope Leo XIV held a private audience with the Father and Head of the UGCC, His Beatitude Sviatoslav, during which the Holy Father expressed his closeness to the Ukrainian people and assured them of his support, and His Beatitude Sviatoslav invited the Pope to visit Ukraine.

Джерело: The UGCC Information Department
фото: Vatican Media

See also

June 4 Jubilee of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church: His Beatitude Sviatoslav Invites the Faithful to the Vatican for a Pilgrimage May 16 The Jubilee of the Eastern Catholic Churches was held in Rome May 13 Hierarchical Divine Liturgy in Rome for Pilgrims from the Eparchy of Mukachevo