New Pope Leo XIV to hold first mass in Sistine Chapel

VATICAN CITY – Newly installed Pope Leo XIV will hold a mass with cardinals in the Sistine Chapel on May 9, a day after he was elected as the surprise choice to be the leader of the Catholic Church, becoming the first US pontiff.

The choice of Cardinal Robert Prevost, who is originally from Chicago but served for many years as a missionary in Latin America, followed a swift two-day conclave that was wrapped up on May 8 evening when white smoke billowed from the chimney on the chapel.

After the mass, Pope Leo will have lunch with the cardinals who elected him, and they will then be free to leave the Vatican and return to their homes around the world.

The successor to Pope Francis, who died in April at the age of 88, inherits a number of major challenges, ranging from a budget shortfall to divisions over whether the Church should be more welcoming towards the LGBT community and divorcees, and should women play a greater role in its affairs.

US President Donald Trump swiftly congratulated Leo on becoming the first US Pope. “What excitement, and what a Great Honour for our Country. I look forward to meeting Pope Leo XIV. It will be a very meaningful moment!”

However, the new Pope, 69, has a history of criticising Mr Trump and Vice-President J.D. Vance’s policies, according to posts on the X account of Cardinal Robert Prevost.

“Peace be with you all,” Pope Leo told the cheering crowd on May 8 evening, speaking in fluent Italian. He also spoke in Spanish during his brief address but did not say anything in English.

The new Pope is a dual US-Peruvian citizen who worked for decades in the north of Peru, first as a missionary and later as Bishop of Chiclayo from 2015 to 2023.

Catholics took to the streets of Chiclayo, in north-western Peru, and church bells rang out to celebrate the election of a man who they embrace as one of their own.

One of the clues to what kind of a Church leader Pope Leo will be was in his choice of name, something that pontiffs often used to send a signal about the priorities of their new papacy.

The last Pope with this name was Pope Leo XIII, who led the Church from 1878-1903. He was known for his devoted focus to social justice issues, and is often credited with laying the foundation for modern Catholic social teaching.

Mr Prevost became a cardinal only in 2023. He has given few media interviews and is known to have a shy personality.

As a cardinal, he had attracted interest from his peers because of his quiet style and support for Pope Francis. In his initial remarks as Pope, he stressed the need for unity.

Pope Francis brought him to Rome in 2023 to head the Vatican office in charge of choosing which priests should serve as Catholic bishops across the globe, meaning he has had a hand in selecting many of the world’s bishops. REUTERS