From Staff Writer
Pope Leo XIV will be formally inaugurated on Sunday, 18 May, when he will celebrate a public Mass in St. Peter’s Square, marking the official beginning of his pontificate, the Vatican has announced.
Although he celebrated his first Mass as pope privately in the Sistine Chapel shortly after his election, the forthcoming event will be his first open-air liturgy, expected to draw tens of thousands of worshippers and dignitaries from across the globe. The service will begin at 10 a.m. local time.
Leo XIV, who was elected by 132 cardinals following the death of Pope Francis, has inherited leadership of the Roman Catholic Church at a time of great challenge and scrutiny. Observers have noted that his approach to longstanding controversies and institutional reforms will likely define his papacy.
Uptown Press Nigeria highlighted the Church’s troubled legacy of child abuse and institutional cover-ups, which continue to cast a shadow over the Vatican’s moral authority. Many will be watching closely to see how the new pontiff addresses these and other pressing issues.
In a move that suggests continuity during this transitional period, Pope Leo has requested that all heads and members of Vatican departments, whose roles were technically vacated upon Pope Francis’s death, remain in their positions until further notice.
The Vatican has also outlined the pope’s public schedule for the rest of May. Highlights include:
Saturday, 10 May: Meeting with the College of Cardinals
Sunday, 11 May: Delivery of the Regina Caeli prayer from St. Peter’s Basilica
Monday, 12 May: Address to international media
Friday, 16 May: Engagement with the Vatican’s Diplomatic Corps
Tuesday, 20 May: Ceremony at the Papal Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls
Wednesday, 21 May: First general audience with the public
Saturday, 24 May: Gathering with the Roman Curia and Vatican City staff
Sunday, 25 May: Second Regina Caeli prayer
Pope Leo XIV’s actions in the coming weeks are expected to provide early indications of his vision for the Church, which continues to grapple with calls for transparency, reform and healing.
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