Pope Leo XIV pledges unity and peace
Pope Leo XIV formally began his reign by reaching out to conservatives in a call for unity, while vowing to continue the late Pope Francis' legacy on social and environmental issues.
A packed out St Peter's Square cheered for Leo, as he took his first ride in the popemobile to greet the Catholic faithful who had come from all over the world.
Afterwards, Leo was officially installed as the 267th pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church and sovereign monarch of Vatican City at an outdoor Mass.
He succeeded Francis, who died on April 21 after 12 often-turbulent years as pope that saw him championing the poor and marginalized, but also battling with traditionalists.
In his sermon, read in fluent Italian, Leo said he would face up to "the questions, concerns and challenges of today’s world."
And, in a nod to conservatives, he promised to preserve "the rich heritage of the Christian faith", repeatedly calling for unity.
Leo also vowed not to be an "autocrat", after some of them had accused Francis of being heavy-handed.
Briefly addressing global conflicts, the pope also called for a "just and lasting peace" in Ukraine, and mentioned the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza.
It came as the wars in both places appeared to intensify over the weekend, with Gaza's medics reporting more than 100 people killed in overnight Israeli airstrikes, and Ukraine saying Russia had launched its largest drone attack following Friday's peace talks in Turkey.
Among the many world leaders attending the Mass was Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
He had a private meeting with the pope afterwards.
And later said he was grateful to the Vatican for its readiness to host direct talks between Ukraine and Russia.
A Ukrainian source said Zelenskiy also met with U.S. Vice President JD Vance and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the sidelines of the inauguration.
Zelenskiy was seen shaking hands with Vance at the start of the ceremony.
The two men last met in February in the White House, when they clashed fiercely in front of the world's media.
