Pope Leo XIV’s inauguration Mass is scheduled for Sunday, May 18, 2025, at 10 a.m. in St. Peter’s Square.
This Mass will formally install him as the Pope, where he’ll receive the fisherman’s ring and the pallium as symbols of his papal office.
This marks an exciting new chapter for the Pope as he begins his papacy ¹.
Leaders and representatives from all over the world are expected to attend.
Vice President JD Vance, a Catholic convert, is expected to attend remotely from the United States, the new pope’s native country.
Leo made his first remarks as pope from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica in front of tens of thousands of onlookers, calling for peace and paying tribute to the late Pope Francis.
In choosing his papal name, Leo has signified a commitment to dynamic social issues, according to experts.
The first pontiff to use the name Leo, whose papacy ended in 461, met Attila the Hun and persuaded him not to attack Rome.
In the past some popes used their birth names; others chose names for various reasons, including the name of the pope who had elevated them to cardinal.
From the mid-20th century it became customary to choose a name signaling the aim of their papacy.
