A day after becoming the first North American head of the Catholic Church, Pope Leo XIV celebrated his first Mass in the Sistine Chapel Friday. In his homily, he said he hoped to bring light to "the dark nights of the world" and deplored a "lack of faith" and the pursuit of "technology, money, success, power, or pleasure". Read our liveblog to see how the day's events unfolded.
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Pope Leo's first mass was a 'celebration' with emphasis on peace
Pope Leo XIV gave his first mass on Friday to cardinals in the Sistine Chapel. The ceremony was a "celebration with God of his election" with an emphasis on peace, said FRANCE 24's Stuart Norval reporting from the Vatican.
Election of Pope Leo XIV makes headlines in Peru
A man looks at the newspapers near Chiclayo's cathedral, in northern Peru on May 9, 2025. US-born pontiff Leo XIV, close to Pope Francis, became a Peruvian national in 2015 and devoted more than 20 years as a missionary in the Andean country. (Ernesto Benavides, AFP)
Pope Leo plays tennis and supports AS Roma, says senior priest
Pope Leo XIV is a keen tennis player and a fan of AS Roma soccer club, according to a senior member of his religious order who has known him for four decades.
"He's a regular tennis player. He would come up and play on our grounds once a week at least," Father Joseph Farrell, Vicar General of the Augustinians, told Reuters on Friday, speaking from the headquarters of the religious order just off St Peter's Square.
He confirmed that Leo was a fan of the Eternal City's biggest soccer club AS Roma.
The new pope is also known as a supporter of the White Sox baseball team from his hometown of Chicago.
Gaza's Christians confident new pope will give importance to enclave's peace
Gaza's tiny Christian community said that they were happy about the election of a new leader of the Catholic Church on Thursday, adding they were also confident he would give importance to the war-torn enclave like his predecessor Pope Francis did.
Cardinal Robert Prevost, a little known missionary from Chicago, was elected in a surprise choice to be the new head of the Catholic Church, becoming the first US pope and taking the name Leo XIV.
"We are happy about the election of the pope ... We hope that his heart will remain with Gaza like Pope Francis," George Antone, 44, head of the emergency committee at the Holy Family Church in Gaza, told Reuters.
The late Pope Francis, who campaigned for peace for the devastated enclave, called the church hours after the war in Gaza began in October 2023, the start of what the Vatican News Service would describe as a nightly routine throughout the war.
"We appeal to the new pope to look at Gaza through the eyes of Pope Francis and to feel it with the heart of Pope Francis. At the same time, we are confident that the new pope will give importance to Gaza and its peace," Antone added.
Dalai Lama says new pope brings 'new hope' to people everywhere
Tibetan Buddhist leader the Dalai Lama said the election of the nes pope brought "new hope" for people all over the world.
“When the world is witnessing so many challenges, your election brings new hope not just to the Catholic community, but to people everywhere who are seeking a happier life in a more compassionate, peaceful world,” he wrote.
The Dalai Lama recalled meeting previous popes, reflecting his “firm belief in the oneness of humanity” and his commitment to “promoting inter-religious harmony”.
Pope Leo 'listens, takes arguments seriously, weighs them', says German Archbishop
Archbishop Reinhard Marx of Munich and Freising said Pope Leo stood out during the conclave as an American with deep experience in Latin America, strong linguistic and cultural fluency, and a history of leadership as Superior General of the Augustinians. “That convinced me to say, this could be a possibility,” said Marx, adding that he was struck by the future pope’s temperament when they met last year.
“We had a very good conversation,” Marx told AP. “I realized he’s a man who listens, takes arguments seriously, weighs them. You can’t just place him into one camp – he really tries to build bridges. I liked that very much.”
Turkey's Erdogan says he hopes to continue 'sincere and constructive dialogue' with new pope
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan ent a congratulatory letter expressing Turkey’s desire to strengthen ties with the Vatican to promote global tolerance and collaborate in addressing humanitarian crises, particularly in Gaza.
“I am fully confident that the sincere and constructive dialogue established with Pope Francis will continue with you as well,” Erdogan wrote, according to a Friday statement from the Turkish president’s office.
Russia's Patriarch Kirill says hopes to foster Orthodox-Catholic ties under Pope Leo XIV
The leader of Russia's Orthodox Church sent his congratulations to Pope Leo XIV on Friday, saying he hoped the newly elected American pontiff would help foster ties between their churches.
"I sincerely hope that, with your participation, relations between our churches will continue to develop," Patriarch Kirill said in a statement, a day after the new pope's election.
New York Cardinal Dolan says new pope will seek to 'build bridges' with Trump
New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan said he thought the new US pontiff, Pope Leo, will seek to build bridges with all world leaders, including US President Donald Trump.
"Will he want to build bridges with Donald Trump? I suppose. But he will want to build bridges with the leader of every nation," Dolan told reporters in his first public comments since the election of Leo.
World leaders congratulate Pope Leo XIV on his designation
World leaders have congratulated Pope Leo XIV on his designation, with Peru’s President Dina Boluarte and Donald Trump calling it a moment of hope. Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and French President Emmanuel Macron highlighted the pope’s importance in these challenging times. Many African leaders also extended their congratulations.
Pope faces busy schedule of religious services, diplomatic meetings and Holy Year events
After presiding over a Mass with cardinals in the Sistine Chapel on Friday, Pope Leo XIV's next expected public engagement will be a meeting with cardinals on Saturday followed by midday prayers on Sunday from the main balcony of St. Peter's Basilica.
The formal inauguration Mass – for the first US pontiff in the 2,000-year history of the Roman Catholic Church – will be held in St. Peter's Square on May 18.
Other early commitments will include taking possession of Rome's three basilicas – St. Paul Outside the Walls on May 20, and St. John Lateran and Santa Maria Maggiore (Saint Mary Major), where Francis is buried, on May 25.
Before all this, the new pope will meet on May 12 with the thousands of journalists who covered the conclave, and on May 16 he will hold an audience with diplomats accredited to the Holy See, the world's smallest independent state.
His first weekly general audience with the faithful is set for May 21.
Leo XIV says Church must fight 'lack of faith' in first mass as pope
Leo XIV urged the Catholic Church to "desperately" counter a lack of faith in his first homily as pope.
In today's world, Leo warned in his homily to assembled cardinals, there are places or situations where "it is not easy to preach the Gospel and bear witness to its truth, where believers are mocked, opposed, despised or at best tolerated and pitied".
"Yet, precisely for this reason, they are the places where our missionary outreach is desperately needed," said the new pope, 69, standing at the Sistine Chapel altar.
The former missionary deplored "settings in which the Christian faith is considered absurd, meant for the weak and unintelligent" and, in an echo of his predecessor Francis, said people were turning to "technology, money, success, power, or pleasure".
"A lack of faith is often tragically accompanied by the loss of meaning in life, the neglect of mercy, appalling violations of human dignity, the crisis of the family and so many other wounds that afflict our society," Leo said in Italian.
Chicago-born Pope Leo XIV offers a few words in English at his first Mass
Chicago-born Pope Leo XIV addressed the congregation in English during his first Mass at the Sistine Chapel. Elected yesterday, he is the first US pope and will face numerous challenges during his papacy, as FRANCE 24's Seema Gupta explains.
Pope Leo XIV to be be formally installed as pope on May 18
Pope Leo XIV will be formally installed as pope at a Mass on May 18 and will preside over his first general audience May 21, the Vatican announced in a statement.
Pope Leo temporarily confirms Vatican heads in current roles
Pope Leo has confirmed all top Vatican officials in their current roles on a temporary basis, giving him time to decide before making definitive appointments, the Vatican said in a statement.
All Vatican senior officials, appointed for five-year terms, serve at the pleasure of the pope. A new pontiff usually rolls over existing mandates, at least initially, before deciding whether to change key positions.
In pictures: Pope Leo XIV's first Mass
Photos: Handout, Vatican Media, AFP
What challenges await Pope Leo?
Pope Leo XIV faces significant challenges as he begins his papacy. He must work to unite a diverse global Church, address the ongoing crises of sexual violence and immigration, and navigate the pressures of secularisation. As the first North American pope, he is also tasked with defining a leadership style distinct from that of his predecessor, Pope Francis.
