Robert Francis Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, celebrated his first Mass as pontiff in the Sistine Chapel on Friday, following his historic election as the first US-born leader of the Catholic Church.
During the ceremony, the 69-year-old pope warned against the allure of “money,” “power,” and the pursuit of “technology, success, or pleasure.” He called on the faithful to “build bridges through dialogue, through encounter, to come together as one people, always in peace.”
“I want to repeat the words from the Responsorial Psalm: ‘I will sing a new song to the Lord, because He has done marvels,’” Pope Leo XIV said during the Mass, as reported by Vatican News.
The conclave elected Prevost on Thursday after 133 cardinal electors chose him on the second day of deliberations. White smoke from the Sistine Chapel chimney signalled to waiting crowds that a successor to Pope Francis had been selected.
Upon appearing on the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, the new pope addressed the crowd in Italian, saying: “Peace be with you all.” He also spoke in Spanish but not in English, despite being American born.
Prevost, originally from Chicago, has spent most of his career as a missionary in Peru and holds dual Peruvian nationality. He became a cardinal only in 2023 when Pope Francis appointed him to head the Vatican office responsible for vetting bishop nominations worldwide.
“You have called me to carry that cross and to carry out that mission, and I know I can rely on every one of you to walk with me as we continue as a Church,” he told the cardinals during Friday’s Mass.
Prior to his papal election, Prevost served as bishop in Chiclayo, northwestern Peru, from 2015 to 2023. The last pope to take the name Leo was Leo XIII, who led the Church from 1878-1903 and was known for his focus on social justice issues.
US President Donald Trump congratulated the new pontiff, saying: “What excitement, and what a Great Honor for our Country. I look forward to meeting Pope Leo XIV.” However, the new pope has previously criticized Trump and Vice President JD Vance’s policies on social media.
India Connection
Pope Leo XIV has significant connections to India, particularly in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. During his tenure as Prior General of the Augustinian Order from 2001 to 2013, he visited India twice - in 2004 and 2006.
He attended an Archbishop’s consecration ceremony in Kerala and visited a school near Coimbatore that still preserves a photograph of his visit with pride. Those who met him remember him as “approachable, humble and deeply warm.”
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the Catholic community on Prevost’s selection, stating: “His leadership of the Catholic Church comes at a moment of profound significance in advancing the ideals of peace, harmony, solidarity and service.”
Well known journalist and human rights activist Dr. John Dayal commented on the pontiff’s connection to India: “The future Pope made a lasting impression when he visited a Tamil Nadu village during his trip to India as a leader of the Augustinian order of Catholic priests. Fr Bob Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, demonstrated his commitment to the order’s principles of poverty and showed special empathy with issues of the poor and marginalized.”
Pope Leo XIV is scheduled to be formally installed on May 18, 2025, in St. Peter’s Square. Born in Chicago in 1955 and raised in suburban Dolton, he represents a historic first as the Catholic Church’s first American pope, though his extensive missionary work in Peru reflects the global nature of his experience within the Church.
