POPE LEO XIV, preaching at his inaugural mass, has called on all Churches and faiths to work together for a just and more peaceful world, while shunning “religious propaganda” and respecting social and cultural differences.
“We want to be a small leaven of unity, communion, and fraternity — to say to the world, with humility and joy: Look to Christ!” the Pope said on Sunday.
“This is the path to follow together, among ourselves but also with our sister Christian churches, with those who follow other religious paths, with those who are searching for God, with all women and men of good will.”
In his homily in St Peter’s Square, Rome, the Pope said that members of his Church had “experienced deep emotions” since the death of Pope Francis on 21 April (News, 25 April), and as its cardinals sought a successor “capable of preserving the rich heritage of the Christian faith” and “looking to the future, to confront the questions, concerns, and challenges of today’s world”.
He said that he had been elected “with fear and trembling”, and would approach his papacy with “self-sacrificing love”.
“The Church of Rome presides in charity, and its true authority is the charity of Christ: it is never a question of capturing others by force, by religious propaganda, or by means of power,” he told the open-air congregation of 150,000. It included more than 100 state and government delegations, many of whom had also been present at Pope Francis’s funeral on 26 April (News, 2 May).
“If the rock is Christ, Peter must shepherd the flock without ever yielding to the temptation to be an autocrat, lording it over those entrusted to him. . . On the contrary, he is called to serve the faith of his brothers and sisters, and to walk alongside them.”
The mass, during which the Pope was presented with his woollen pallium and fisherman’s ring, was attended by Orthodox leaders, including the Ecumenical Patriarch, Bartholomew, alongside Lutheran, Methodist, Reformed, and Pentecostal representatives, and Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, and other faith leaders.
A 13-member Anglican delegation was led by the Archbishop of Melanesia, the Most Revd Leonard Dawea, and included the chair of the Anglican Consultative Council, Maggie Swinson, and the secretary-general of the Anglican Communion, the Rt Revd Anthony Poggo.
The Pope met state and government representatives of many countries, in St Peter’s, after the mass, including the US Vice-President, J. D. Vance; the US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio; the British Deputy Prime Minister, Angela Rayner; and the Duke of Edinburgh.
He held private meetings with several figures, including President Zelensky.
In his homily, Leo said that he hoped to build a Church practising “fraternal communion” and the “coexistence of diversity”, which also “opens its arms to the world, proclaims the word, allows itself to be made restless by history, and becomes a leaven of harmony for humanity. . .
“We still see too much discord, too many wounds caused by hatred, violence, prejudice, the fear of difference, and an economic paradigm that exploits the earth’s resources and marginalises the poorest,” he said.
“The missionary spirit must animate us, not closing ourselves off in our small groups, nor feeling superior to the world. We are called to offer God’s love to everyone, to achieve that unity which does not cancel out differences but values the personal history of each person and the social and religious culture of every people.”
In an address on Monday to representatives of other Churches and religions, the Pope praised the “openings and initiatives” achieved by Pope Francis in promoting “the ecumenical journey and interreligious dialogue”, as well as his cultivation of personal relationships with faith leaders.
On the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, Pope Leo saw it as a “primary duty”, he said, to “seek the re-establishment of full and visible communion among all those who profess the same faith”. He would also continue working for peace, disarmament, and integral development, “free from ideological and political conditioning”, with Jews, Muslims, and other religious leaders.
“Aware that synodality and ecumenism are closely linked, I wish to assure you of my intention to continue Pope Francis’s commitment to promoting the synodal character of the Catholic Church and to developing new and concrete forms for an ever more intense synodality in the ecumenical field,” the Pope told religious representatives.
“In a world wounded by violence and conflict, each of the communities represented here brings its own contribution of wisdom, compassion, and commitment to the good of humanity and the protection of our common home.”
In a brief statement on the Anglican Communion website, the Archbishop of York said that it had been “wonderful” to see “thousands and thousands and thousands of people gathering” for Pope Leo’s inauguration.
It had been “a great day for the Catholic Church worldwide,” he said, “but a great day for the whole Christian community”. He hoped that the ecumenical journey would “gather pace and momentum with Pope Leo’s leadership”.
