Robert Francis Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, on Friday presided over the first large mass following his election.
The new pontiff was joined by cardinals in the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican, a day after he was chosen on Thursday as the successor to Pope Francis.
The U.S.-born cleric, who also has a Peruvian citizenship, entered the ornate chapel in the Apostolic Palace, accompanied by singing, dressed in a long white robe and wearing a traditional mitre.
He wore dark shoes, not the red shoes worn by many previous popes, which his predecessor Francis had also eschewed.
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The cardinals likewise wore white robes with gold embellishments, the chapel is the same location where the cardinals elected Prevost as pope during the conclave.
The pope is the leader of 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide.
While, the faithful are eager to see how Leo will shape the Catholic Church, the new pontiff has a packed schedule for the coming days, including an expected appearance at around midday on Sunday on the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica for the traditional Regina Coeli prayer.
Around 100,000 people cheered him in St Peter’s Square on Thursday after white smoke emerged from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel, signaling that a new pontiff had been chosen.
Source: dpa/NAN
