On Sunday, Pope Leo XIV formally took office by addressing conservatives who felt abandoned by his predecessor, urging unity, and promising to uphold the Catholic Church’s traditions rather than govern in a “autocratic” manner.
Leo was sworn in as the 267th pope of the Roman Catholic Church at an outdoor Mass following his first ride in the popemobile through a crowd of up to 200,000 people in St. Peter’s Square and the surrounding streets.
The flags of the United States and Peru were flown by well-wishers, who claimed him as their countries’ first pope. The 69-year-old pope, who was born in Chicago, is a Peruvian citizen and served as a missionary in Peru for many years.
