First American Pope, Leo XIV, Installed as He Calls for Global Peace, Social Justice

• Pope Leo XIV, the first-ever American pope, was officially installed in a grand ceremony at St Peter’s Square on Sunday, May 18, 2025, where he greeted thousands of pilgrims.

• The new pope, 69-year-old Robert Francis Prevost from Chicago, made his debut ride through the crowd and delivered a message calling for peace and social justice while reinforcing traditional Catholic values.

Pope Leo XIV, the first American to lead the Roman Catholic Church, was officially installed on Sunday, May 18, 2025, in a solemn ceremony at St Peter’s Square, drawing tens of thousands of pilgrims and dignitaries from around the world.

The 69-year-old Chicago-born pontiff, Robert Francis Prevost, made a memorable entrance in the iconic popemobile, waving and blessing the crowd ahead of the inauguration mass.

He later received the papal ring and delivered a homily that outlined his vision for a papacy rooted in peace, justice, and traditional values.

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Speaking to clergy, diplomats, and journalists in the past week, Pope Leo XIV urged unity in a fractured world. “We must be instruments of peace in a time of war, and defenders of justice where injustice thrives,” he said. He reaffirmed Catholic teachings on the sanctity of life and the importance of family, describing it as a “stable union between a man and a woman.”

Among the top U.S. officials in attendance were Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The pontiff’s rise has stirred excitement in the U.S., though past social media posts critical of Vance and the Trump administration were noted before the pope’s account was deactivated. Vance was notably the last global leader to meet with Pope Francis, who passed away on April 21.

A Rome-based pilgrim, Inacia Lisboa, 71, originally from Cape Verde, summed up the atmosphere: “He has already entered my heart. All I ask is that he prays for peace — we need it so much.”