The Vatican announced on Friday that the inauguration of Pope Leo XIV, the first U.S.-born pontiff, will take place on May 18, 2025, with a grand Mass in St. Peter’s Square at 10:00 AM local time (8:00 AM GMT).
Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, elected on May 8 as the 267th pope after four ballots in a two-day conclave, will formally assume his role as the leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics during the ceremony, which is expected to draw hundreds of thousands of pilgrims, dignitaries, and global leaders.
The announcement, detailed by Vatican News and Catholic News Agency, follows the emergence of white smoke from the Sistine Chapel chimney, marking Prevost’s selection as Pope Leo XIV to succeed Pope Francis, who died on April 21, 2025.
The Vatican also confirmed that Leo XIV will retain Francis’s key staff for now and hold his first general audience on May 21, signaling a commitment to continuity amid a historic transition.
The inaugural Mass, a cornerstone of papal transitions, will be a global spectacle, broadcast live and attended by figures like U.S. President Donald Trump, who called Leo XIV’s election a “moment of pride” for American Catholics, and UN Secretary-General António Guterres, who anticipates collaboration on peace and justice, according to AP News.
The ceremony in St. Peter’s Square, where Prevost first addressed the faithful on May 8 with the words “Peace be with you all,” will feature traditional elements: the imposition of the pallium, a woolen vestment symbolizing papal authority, and the presentation of the fisherman’s ring, per Vatican News.
The choice of May 18, a Sunday, ensures maximum attendance, with estimates of up to 250,000 people, as seen during Francis’s 2013 inauguration, according to The Independent.
Prevost’s election, announced by Cardinal Protodeacon Dominique Mamberti with the Latin “Habemus Papam,” followed a conclave of 133 cardinal electors, the largest and most diverse in history, with 23 from Asia and 18 from Africa, according to NBC News.
The Chicago-born Augustinian, aged 69, emerged as a compromise candidate after four ballots, balancing Francis’s progressive legacy with moderate sensibilities.
His decades in Peru, where he served as Bishop of Chiclayo (2015–2023) and gained Peruvian citizenship, and his role as Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops since 2023, gave him global credibility, mitigating concerns about U.S. geopolitical influence, as noted by CNN’s Christopher Lamb. His choice of the name Leo XIV, evoking Leo XIII’s social justice encyclical Rerum Novarum (1891), signals a focus on economic equity and dialogue, per The Guardian.
The Vatican’s decision to keep Francis’s top aides, including Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin and Dicastery for Evangelization head Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, reflects Leo XIV’s intent to preserve institutional stability, according to EWTN News.
This move reassures reformists who feared a conservative shift, especially after Prevost’s past remarks opposing women’s ordination and gender studies, which contrasted with Francis’s inclusive tone, according to ABC News.
However, his support for adding women to bishop nomination votes and his missionary emphasis on serving the poor, as highlighted by his brother John Prevost to NBC Chicago, suggest a nuanced approach.
What you should know
Leo XIV’s schedule is packed: on May 11, he will deliver his first Regina Caeli prayer from St. Peter’s Basilica’s loggia; on May 12, he meets the press; and on May 20, he takes possession of St. Paul Outside the Walls Basilica, per Catholic News Agency.
His first general audience on May 21 will set the tone for his public engagement, with Vatican News reporting his homily today in the Sistine Chapel emphasized “synodality and peace.” In Chiclayo, Peru, where bells tolled in celebration, locals like teacher Isabel Panez expressed hope for a papal visit, according to AP News.
Yet, challenges loom. Allegations of mishandling clergy abuse cases in Peru, raised by survivors’ groups in March 2025, cast a shadow, per The Washington Post.
Social media criticism from MAGA commentators labeling him a “woke Marxist,” countered by Cardinal Timothy Dolan’s portrayal of him as a “bridge builder,” highlights ideological divides, per The Independent. His Chicago roots, celebrated by Mayor Brandon Johnson and the White Sox, who sent him a personalized jersey, add a lighter note, though his Cubs allegiance was playfully debated, per NBC Chicago.
As St. Peter’s Square prepares for May 18, Leo XIV’s inauguration will be a defining moment, blending American pragmatism with global Catholicism’s spiritual weight.
His call to “build bridges,” echoed in his first Urbi et Orbi blessing, sets a hopeful yet ambitious agenda for a Church navigating polarization, secularism, and global crises.
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