The Vatican has officially announced that the inauguration Mass of Pope Leo XIV will take place on Sunday, May 18, in St. Peter’s Square.
This event will mark the formal beginning of his papacy, and world leaders are expected to attend.
The new Pope, Robert Francis Prevost, was elected as the 267th pontiff and the first American head of the Catholic Church. His schedule includes meetings with journalists on May 12, diplomats on May 16, and his first general audience on May 21
Among those who have already expressed their congratulations are US President Donald Trump, who called it a “great honor” for the country, and former President Barack Obama, who praised Prevost as a “fellow Chicagoan”.
Other leaders, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin, have also acknowledged the significance of this transition.
The Vatican has outlined Pope Leo XIV’s upcoming schedule, which includes meetings with journalists on May 12, diplomats on May 16, and his first general audience on May 21
