Tens of thousands witness Pope Leo XIV’s inauguration in Vatican

VATICAN CITY, VATICAN - MAY 18, 2025: Tens of thousands gathered at St. Peter’s Square on Monday to witness the inauguration ceremony of Pope Leo XIV, who was elected as the new leader of the Catholic Church. Pope Leo XIV arrived at the square accompanied by cardinals, where he was vested with the white pallium by Cardinal Mario Zenari and received the “Fisherman’s Ring” from Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle. He then led his first mass in front of the altar at St. Peter’s Square. Numerous world leaders attended the ceremony, including Italian President Sergio Mattarella, Spain’s King Felipe VI, Peruvian President Dina Boluarte, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, U.S. Vice President JD Vance, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, German Chancellor Friederich Merz, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and European Parliament President Roberta Metsola. Turkish Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy represented Türkiye at the event. Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of the Eastern Orthodox Church also attended the mass.(Footage by Barış Seçkin /Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)