The opening Mass for the start of Leo XIV's pontificate saw the new Pope prioritize the theme of 'unity' in Christ, citing also the sacrificial love of Christ which popes must imitate.
VATICAN CITY (LifeSiteNews) — Pope Leo XIV has received the Pallium and Fisherman’s Ring today, as he highlighted “unity” in Christ during the opening Mass of his pontificate in St. Peter’s Square.
In a ceremony replete with symbolism and scriptural readings designed to highlight the Petrine office, Leo XIV was invested with the traditional papal symbols of Pallium and Ring today.
Addressing the crowd during his homily, Leo said, “I was chosen, without any merit of my own, and now, with fear and trembling, I come to you as a brother, who desires to be the servant of your faith and your joy, walking with you on the path of God’s love, for he wants us all to be united in one family."
The mission of each pope, he said, is to imitate St. Peter, who in turn emulated the sacrifice of Christ:
The ministry of Peter is distinguished precisely by this self-sacrificing love, because the Church of Rome presides in charity and its true authority is the charity of Christ. It is never a question of capturing others by force, by religious propaganda or by means of power. Instead, it is always and only a question of loving as Jesus did.
Prominent themes of his pontificate have already emerged: Marian devotion, calls for peace amidst the backdrop of raging conflicts, warning of the dangers of technology, and the promotion of doctrine.
Today, Leo emphasized another, calling for unity in the Church which would be mirrored in wider society:
I would like that our first great desire be for a united Church, a sign of unity and communion, which becomes a leaven for a reconciled world….
In the one Christ, we are one.
Much speculation has been made, and will continue, as Vaticanists seek to gauge the early signs of how the Leonine pontificate will proceed. While Leo has mentioned synodality in two speeches this past week – a key priority of Pope Francis – his homily today made no mention of it at all, which appears as a notable absence in an address which is his first major public event as pope.
As explained in LifeSite's analysis, the ceremony revolves around the deeply symbolic reception of the Pope’s Pallium and his papal ring which takes place after the Gospel during the Mass.
READ: What is the symbolism in the opening Mass of Pope Leo XIV on Sunday?
Placing the Pallium over the shoulders of the newly-elected Pope, Cardinal Dominique Mamberti recited a prayer for the graces necessary for Leo to faithfully follow the example of St. Peter:
May the God of peace, who brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ, the great shepherd of the sheep, bestow upon you the Pallium taken from the Tomb of the Apostle Peter.
The Good Shepherd charged Peter to feed his lambs and his sheep; today you succeed him as the Bishop of this Church to which he and the Apostle Paul were fathers in faith.
May the Spirit of Truth, who proceeds from the Father, grant you his abundant gifts of wisdom and eloquence in the ministry of confirming your brethren in the unity of faith.
©MichaelHaynes
Following this, Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo then also uttered a prayer of intercession prior to the Pope’s reception of the Fisherman’s Ring.
Imparting the ring to Leo, Cardinal Tagle’s prayer denoted the link between Leo XIV and the first Pope who received the command from Christ to be the “rock” on which the Church is grounded:
Most Holy Father, may Christ, the Son of the living God, the shepherd and guardian of our souls, who built his Church upon rock, grant you the ring, the seal of Peter the Fisherman, who put his hope in him on the sea of Galilee, and to whom the Lord Jesus entrusted the keys of the Kingdom of heaven.
Today you succeed the Blessed Apostle Peter as the Bishop of this Church which presides over the unity of charity, as the Blessed Apostle Paul has taught. May the Spirit of charity, poured into our hearts, grant you the gentleness and strength to preserve, through your ministry, all those who believe in Christ in unity and fellowship.
In the final act showing the authority of the pontiff, the liturgy then proceeds to the “rite of obedience,” which used to be made by all the College of Cardinals, but of late has been made only by 12 people: 3 cardinals, 1 bishop, 1 priest, 1 deacon, 2 superiors of religious order, a married couple, and two young people recently confirmed.
The cardinals who made the rite of obedience were Cardinal Frank Leo of Toronto, Cardinal Jaime Spengler of Brazil, and Cardinal John Ribat of Papua New Guinea.
As expected, the Mass drew considerable interest from numerous nations keen to have a diplomatic presence in the square. Close to 150 nations were represented at the Mass, with sizable delegations from Italy, Peru and the United States.
Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio were both present on behalf of the Trump administration, while other dignitaries included 9 reigning sovereigns, 21 heads of state, 20 heads of government, along with numerous ambassadors and government ministers.
Large ecumenical presence was also seen in the square, with representatives and leaders of the Old Catholic Church, the Anglicans, the Methodists, the Pentecostals in attendance, along with Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Sikh and Buddhist delegates.
Today’s ceremony is the opening Mass of the pontificate, but the Pope will still have to take possession of the remaining three papal basilicas around Rome, including St. John Lateran which is home to his episcopal throne.
These ceremonies will take place during the following week: St. Paul Outside the Walls on Tuesday, with St. John Lateran and St. Mary Major.
