Pope Leo XIV, the first American-born leader of the Roman Catholic Church, pledged to champion the poor and marginalized in his inaugural Mass on Friday, signaling a continuation of his predecessor's mission and downplaying the significance of his U.S. roots, The New York Times reported.
Pope Leo XIV presided over his first Mass as the spiritual head of 1.4 billion Roman Catholics on Friday, committing his papacy to lifting up "ordinary people" and healing the "wounds that afflict our society."
The new pontiff's election marks a historic moment for the American church, with Leo becoming the first Pope born in the United States. Yet the cardinals who selected him emphasized his decades of service to the poor in Peru and his high-ranking Vatican experience over his nationality.
"It matters a lot that we have a Pope and a spiritual leader whose heart is for migrants," Cardinal Pablo Virgilio Siongco David of the Philippines said at a news conference. "And I think he will sustain the direction of Pope Francis."
Leo's Mass, held in the Sistine Chapel the morning after his surprise election, reflected the theological influence of Pope Francis. In his homily, Leo said a global loss of faith was linked to "appalling violations of human dignity," and he encouraged renewed missionary outreach.
The election of a Pope with deep ties to Latin America and the developing world comes at a time of internal tension within the church. Leo inherits challenges such as growing polarization, particularly a rightward shift in parts of U.S. Catholicism, where some factions strongly criticized Francis' papacy.
Despite inevitable comparisons to another American figure on the world stage, President Donald Trump, the current president of the United States, several prelates underscored that Leo's priorities and background set him apart.
Prelates played down the historic nature of Leo's American citizenship. Instead, they highlighted his commitment to social justice, pastoral care, and fidelity to Francis' reforms.
Addressing thousands from the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica after his election, Leo promised to focus on "building bridges," though he offered few specifics about his approach to church governance.
His first opportunity to speak in depth may come Monday, when he is expected to hold a rare and highly anticipated news conference with the global press corps.
For now, Leo's message is clear: his papacy will not center on power or privilege, but on faith, humility, and service to those on society's margins.