Pope Leo XIV prayed in Latin the Regina Coeli prayer from the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica after entering the Holy Office Palace at 10:00 hours this Sunday and, during his walk, greeted the faithful who were waiting in line to enter St. Peter's Square to follow him live. After the prayer to the Virgin, interrupted and chanted with shouts of "Long live the Pope!", he made an appeal for peace: "No more war," he said.
The Pope called for "an authentic, just, and lasting peace," with a direct mention of the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, and the conflict between India and Pakistan. "Never again war!" proclaimed Leo XIV, who appealed for the "miracle of peace."
Around 150,000 faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square and its surroundings to listen to Leo XIV's first prayer, almost as many followers as those gathered to bid farewell to Pope Francis at his funeral.
Around 10:00 hours, shouts of jubilation began to be heard under the Charlemagne Wing of the San Pedro Colonnade, among the dozens of people waiting to pass through security and enter the square.
As the bells rang, the Pope greeted from afar the crowd that greeted and applauded him before entering through the door of the Holy Office Palace.
Leo XIV celebrated "the joy of praying with you" and remembered Pope Francis while encouraging the youth to follow the path and join the Catholic Church, saying, "Do not be afraid!"
In a brief message after the Angelus reading, the Pope extended congratulations "to all mothers on Mother's Day" and dedicated a special greeting to the parishioners of Valladolid, Torrelodones, and Madrid, in a very direct reference to his ties with Spain.
The Angelus, broadcast on giant screens at various points in Rome, was preceded by a Mass and a folkloric parade with representations from all regions and the Italian anthem playing in the background, emphasizing the "Italianness" of Leo XIV through his paternal lineage.
From Arequipa, Peru, there was a large representation led by José Huamán with a banner saying "Chiclayo present." "He is our Pope, given that the Americans do not want him," explained José. "I hope he visits us soon and sings 'Feliz Navidad' with us again."
"I carry in my heart the suffering of the beloved Ukrainian people," said Leo XIV, who called for "efforts to achieve an authentic, just, and lasting peace."
The Pope also mentioned the "suffering of the population in Gaza and called for the "release of all hostages and for children to be reunited with their families."
His reference to global conflicts concluded with India and Pakistan and his hope for a peaceful resolution.
Leo XIV recalled "the dramatic scenario of a third world war in pieces, as Pope Francis often said, and made his own the "ever-current appeal: never again war."
Even to St. Peter's, the anathema of Steve Bannon reached, criticizing the election of Robert Francis Prevost Martínez as an anti-Trump "trick" devised by the Vatican.
The American Greg Stevenson, who arrived in Rome from Boston this week with his wife Lea, distanced himself from the criticisms and spoke in favor of the American Pope: "It is a very noisy minority that criticizes him. The truth is that American Catholics are very proud of his election. And so are the cardinals. Let's bury hatred and unite in a prayer of unity."
Leo XIV was elected Pope on Thursday after a two-day conclave that was uncertain. He takes the leadership of a divided Church facing numerous challenges such as the crisis of vocations, the role of women, and cases of sexual abuse.
In a meeting of cardinals at the Vatican, the 267th pontiff of the Catholic Church gave some hints about his priorities and style. He was applauded as he entered the conference room dressed in the white papal tunic. "The Pope, from St. Peter to me, his unworthy successor, is a humble servant of God and of the brothers, and nothing more than this," he stated.
He explained that the choice of his papal name reflects his commitment to the social causes defended by Leo XIII, who in the 19th century was a staunch advocate for workers' rights during the Industrial Revolution.
"Today, the Church offers its social doctrine heritage to respond to another industrial revolution and the developments in artificial intelligence, which pose new challenges in defending human dignity, justice, and work," he pointed out.
Cardinals and experts see Leo XIV in the mold of Francis for his commitment to the poor and disadvantaged and his focus on areas of the Church distant from Rome, although they consider him more moderate than the impulsive Argentine Jesuit. During the Saturday meeting, he paid tribute to the former pope and later visited his tomb at the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore.
The Regina Coeli prayer to the Virgin Mary also marks the beginning of a busy week.
Tomorrow, Monday, he will have a meeting with international media that came to Rome to cover his election, and on Friday, he is scheduled to meet with diplomats accredited to the Holy See. The Vatican has set the enthronement mass at St. Peter's Basilica for Sunday, May 18.