The religious ceremony lasted from 10:00 to 12:08 local time, with the presence of 156 foreign delegations, numerous heads of state and government and the attendance of more than 250 thousand people, present from very early in the place.

The new Pontiff greeted the attendees with a tour in the popemobile among the crowd. Before the Eucharistic celebration, the Pope moved, together with the Patriarchs of the Eastern Churches, to the tomb of St. Peter located under the Vatican Basilica, where he paused in prayer.

At the end of the proclamation of the Gospel, three cardinals from the three orders of deacons, priests and bishops, as well as from different continents approached Leo XIV for the performance of the rites of initiation as the new Supreme Pontiff.

Italian Cardinal Mario Zenari imposed the Pallium on Pope Robert Francis Prevost, while Congolese Archbishop Fridolin Ambongo Besungu pronounced the Prayer and Philippine ecclesiastic Luis Antonio Tagle placed the Fisherman’s Ring, symbols that recognize the Holy Father of the Catholic Church.

The Obedience was given by three cardinals, the Canadian Frank Leo, the Brazilian Jaime Spengler and Archbishop John Ribat of Papua New Guinea. The Peruvian Bishop Luis Alberto Barrera and the priest of that Latin American country, Guillermo Inca Pereda, also participated in the ceremony.

In his homily during the Mass, Leo XIV recalled Pope Francis, whose death on April 21 “filled our hearts with sadness”, and pointed out that in the Conclave the cardinals faced the difficult task of choosing his successor.

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