Cliff Notes
- Pope Leo, elected less than 24 hours prior, led his first holy mass in the Sistine Chapel, emphasising the Church’s role in guiding “the dark nights of this world.”
- He acknowledged the challenges faced by believers, stating that there are environments where preaching the Gospel is difficult and where believers are often mocked or tolerated.
Pope Leo warns of reducing Jesus to ‘charismatic leader’ – after speaking English at start of first mass
Earlier, Pope Leo led his first holy mass as pontiff in the Sistine Chapel, where he was elected less than 24 hours earlier.
He prayed that his historic papacy can help the Catholic Church be a beacon illuminating “the dark nights of this world”.
Dressed in relatively simple white and gold vestments, the former Cardinal Robert Prevost and the first US pope said a few words in English before continuing his homily in fluent Italian.
He reflected in his words what he wanted the Church to look like under his papacy and added: “God has entrusted this treasure to me.”
The pontiff also said:
- There are settings “where it is not easy to preach the Gospel and bear witness to its truth”;
- He said there are contexts where “believers are mocked, opposed, despised or at best tolerated and pitied”;
- The pontiff said sometimes Jesus is “reduced to a kind of charismatic leader or superman”;
- He also said that he knew he could rely on everyone in the chapel to “walk with him”.
Leo, aged 69, was elected at the end of a swift two-day conclave that was wrapped up yesterday evening when white smoke billowed from the chimney of the chapel.
In addition to his US citizenship, he also holds Peruvian citizenship.
As the mass unfolded, Buckingham Palace also announced that the King had sent a private message to the Pope and congratulated him on his election as the 267th pontiff.