VATICAN CITY (AP) 鈥 Pope Leo XIV celebrated his first Mass on Friday, a day after his historic election as the first North American pope in the Catholic Church's 2,000-year history while congratulations poured in from world leaders and statesmen at the start of his papacy.
On Thursday, Cardinal at the Vatican, following the conclave and the appearance of white smoke from the Sistine Chapel chimney, signaling that a new pontiff has been chosen. His election overcame the traditional prohibition against a pope from the United States.
Leo, a 69-year-old Chicago-born who spent his career ministering in Peru and took over the Vatican鈥檚 powerful office of bishops, wore the traditional red cape 鈥 which had eschewed on his election in 2013 鈥 suggesting a return to some degree of rule-following after Francis鈥 unorthodox pontificate.
Leo's first words to the crowds below 鈥 鈥淧eace be with you鈥 鈥 emphasized a message of dialogue and missionary evangelization. He spoke to the crowd in Italian and Spanish, but not English.
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The first Mass of the new pontiff
Leo celebrated his first Mass as pontiff on Friday, presiding in the Sistine Chapel with the cardinals who elected him to succeed Francis and follow in his social justice-minded footsteps.
Wearing white vestments, the pope processed into the Sistine Chapel and blessed the cardinals as he approached the altar and Michelangelo鈥檚 鈥淭he Last Judgement鈥 behind it.
It was in the same frescoed chapel that the Chicago-born missionary Robert Prevost was elected on Thursday afternoon the 267th pope.
A few minutes earlier on Friday, the cardinals processed into the chapel wearing ceremonial white miters on their heads.
When the pope was a young boy...
One of Pope Leo XIV鈥檚 neighbors intuited when he was still a young boy that he would someday become pope.
John Prevost, one of Leo鈥檚 brothers, says he thinks it happened when Leo was in first grade.
鈥淥ne of the neighborhood ladies across the street said to him, 鈥榊ou will be the first American pope,鈥欌 he said. 鈥淗ow she did that, who knows?鈥
Israeli leaders hope the new pontiff will help in 鈥榖uilding bridges鈥
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wished Pope Leo XIV 鈥渟uccess in fostering hope and reconciliation among all faiths,鈥 in a post on X on Thursday.
Relations between Israel and the Holy See have been strained since the start of the Israel-Hamas war. Pope Francis regularly criticized Israel鈥檚 military actions in Gaza, condemning reports of famine. He also made daily calls to Christians in Gaza, contacting those sheltering at Holy Family Catholic Church in Gaza City to ask about safety and access to food and water.
Israel鈥檚 President Isaac Herzog said Israel looks forward to welcoming the new pope to the Holy Land and expressed hope Leo's papacy will be "one of building bridges and understanding between all faiths and peoples.鈥
鈥淢ay we see the immediate and safe return of the hostages still held in Gaza, and a new era of peace in our region and around the world,鈥 Herzog said.
Pope Leo XIV鈥檚 first appointments have been set
Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni says:
1. Pope Leo XIV will celebrate Mass on Friday morning at 11 a.m. with cardinals in the Sistine Chapel.
2. He plans to deliver his first Sunday noon blessing from the loggia of St. Peter鈥檚 Basilica.
3. And he plans to hold an audience with the media on Monday in the Vatican auditorium.
Taiwan looks to work with the new pope to spread the message of peace
Taiwan鈥檚 President Lai Ching-te has extended his congratulations to the new pontiff and said his diplomatically isolated island hopes to work with the Vatican on spreading peace, justice, religious freedom, unity and compassion.
The Vatican is the only state in Europe to have formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan and Taipei has worked hard to maintain a close relationship with recent popes.
About 2% of Taiwan鈥檚 population of 23 million are Catholic, though the church's roots go back hundreds of years on the island. Most Taiwanese follow Buddhism.
China鈥檚 state-backed church organizations offer congratulations to the new pope
China's official news agency Xinhua reported on Friday that the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association and the Bishops鈥 Conference of Catholic Church in China 鈥 both under the Chinese government 鈥 congratulated Leo.
The Vatican鈥檚 relations with China were severed in 1951 after the Communist Party came to power and the expulsion of foreign priests. The country鈥檚 estimated millions of Catholics were divided into the state-recognized church and an underground one that stayed loyal to Rome.
In 2018, the Vatican and China signed an accord over the thorny issue of bishop nominations, and the deal was extended in 2024 even though Rome previously acknowledged that it was far from ideal.
The Holy See鈥檚 outreach to China under late Pope Francis has drawn criticism, especially from American conservatives who have accused the Vatican of selling out the faithful who have been forced underground. Hong Kong鈥檚 outspoken Roman Catholic Cardinal Joseph Zen also criticized the deal.
Filipinos welcome the first-ever American pontiff
The Philippines is the largest Roman Catholic nation in Asia and there were hopes the late Pope Francis would be succeeded by a prominent Filipino Cardinal, Luis Antonio Tagle, from the laidback city of Imus just south of Manila.
Still, Leo's election was welcomed and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said he prays that the new pope would "continue to bring the church closer to the poor and disadvantaged.鈥
鈥淚 wanted the candidate from the Philippines 鈥 but let鈥檚 accept this choice because this was God鈥檚 plan,鈥 Alexandra Bonilla, a 20-year-old student, said at a cathedral in Imus.
Australia's prime minister says Pope Leo's leadership comes at an 鈥榠mportant time鈥
Anthony Albanese said on Friday that he will invite the new pope to the 54th International Eucharistic Congress, a gathering of Roman Catholic clergy and lay people, in Sydney in 2028.
鈥淎s the first North American Pope, Pope Leo XIV鈥檚 leadership comes at an important time for the Catholic Church and for the world," Albanese, a Catholic, told reporters in the Australian capital Canberra.
What is a core value for Augustinian priests?
A religious order is a community of Catholics 鈥 which can include priests, nuns, monks and even lay people 鈥 dedicated to a particular type of mission and spirituality. A core value for the Order of St. Augustine that the new pope belongs to is to 鈥渓ive together in harmony, being of one mind and one heart on the way to God.鈥
Pope Francis was the first pope from the Jesuit religious order ever, and the first in more than a century and a half to come from any religious order. The previous one was Gregory XVI (1831-1846), a Camaldolese monk. In all, 34 of the 266 popes have belonged to religious orders 鈥 and six of them before Leo XIV were Augustinians, according to America, a Jesuit magazine.
The idea of a US pontiff was taboo. Prevost overcame it
Pope Francis brought Prevost to the Vatican in 2023 to lead the office that vets bishop nominations, one of the most important jobs in the Catholic Church.
Prevost kept a low public profile in Rome, but was well known to the men who count. Significantly, he presided over one of the most revolutionary reforms Francis made, when he added that decides which bishop nominations to forward to the pope. In early 2025, Francis again showed his esteem by appointing Prevost to the most senior rank of cardinals.
Back in Prevost鈥檚 old diocese in Chiclayo, Peru, the Rev. Fidel Purisaca Vigil said Prevost would have breakfast with his fellow priests after saying his prayers each day. 鈥淣o matter how many problems he has, he maintains good humor and joy,鈥 Purisaca said in an email.
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