Pope Leo XIV warns towards lack of religion in first mass at Vatican

The brand new Pope, Leo XIV, has referred to as for the Catholic Church to “desperately” counter an absence of religion in his first mass on the Vatican.

Talking on Friday, the day after he was elected the primary US chief of the Catholic Church, he warned that individuals have been turning to “expertise, cash, success, energy, or pleasure” for safety as an alternative of the Church.

Pope Leo additionally referred to as for cardinals to increase missionary outreach.

The ascension of Chicago-born Robert Francis Prevost, 69, has been broadly celebrated by 1.4 billion Catholics the world over, with joyous outbursts particularly in Peru, the place he was stationed for 20 years, and in his US homeland.

In his speech, the brand new pope mentioned he had been elected to be a “trustworthy administrator” of the Church and to steer it as a “beacon” to achieve areas struggling a “lack of religion”.

“A scarcity of religion is usually tragically accompanied by the lack of that means in life, the neglect of mercy, appalling violations of human dignity, the disaster of the household and so many different wounds that afflict our society,” he mentioned in Italian.

Pope Leo wore a white gown trimmed in gold as he addressed the seated cardinals within the Sistine Chapel deal with broadcast dwell by the Vatican administration.

On Thursday night, Prevost was launched to the world as the brand new Pope Leo XIV to rousing cheers from crowds gathered in St Peter’s Sq..

Showing on the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica, his first phrases to the tens of hundreds of worshippers gathered outlined a imaginative and prescient of a “missionary” Church which “builds bridges, which holds dialogues, which is all the time open”.

He echoed his predecessor, the late Pope Francis, in calling for peace.

“Assist us, and one another, to construct bridges by way of dialogue, by way of encounter, to come back collectively as one individuals, all the time in peace,” he mentioned.

World leaders have rushed to congratulate Prevost on his election, pledging to work with him on international points. US President Donald Trump referred to as it a “nice honour” to have the primary American pope.

Prevost, who additionally holds Peruvian citizenship, solely turned an archbishop after which cardinal in 2023. He was elected chief by his fellow cardinals in simply two days of voting within the secret conclave that occurred two weeks after Francis died.

He’s seen as being aligned with the late Pope, who was seen as a progressive champion of human rights and the poor and celebrated for his charismatic fashion that sought to make the Catholic Church extra outward-facing.

Vatican watchers have famous that Francis appeared to have introduced Prevost to Rome in recent times, maybe to set him up as a possible successor.

Pope Leo’s upcoming remarks, which embrace Sunday’s noon Regina Coeli prayer and a Monday press convention with journalists, might be carefully scrutinised for hints as to which path he intends to steer the Church and how much Pope he might be.