Pope Leo XIV celebrated his first Mass since being elected pontiff, as congratulations pour in for the new leader of the Catholic Church.
In his address, speaking in Italian, the pope said on Friday he hoped that his election can help the Catholic Church bring light to the “dark nights of this world”.
Leo told cardinals in the Sistine Chapel that he hoped to be a “faithful administrator” for the entire church, and added that the church should identify itself through the holiness of its members and not “the grandeur of her buildings”.
“God has called me by your election to succeed the prince of the apostles, and has entrusted this treasure to me.”
Earlier, speaking in English, the pope said he said he wanted to start by echoing words from the psalms, saying “I will sing a new song to the Lord, because he has done marvels.”
The pope continued: “Not just with me, but with all of us, my brother cardinals, as we celebrate this morning, I invite you to recognise the marvels that the Lord has done, the blessings that the Lord continues to pour out upon all of us.
“Through the ministry of Peter, you have called me to carry that cross, and to be blessed with that mission, and I know I can rely on each and every one of you to walk with me as we continue as a church, as a community of friends of Jesus, as believers, to announce the good news, to announce the gospel.”
The service comes a day after his historic election as the first North American pope in the church’s 2,000-year history.
On Thursday, Cardinal Robert Prevost emerged on to the loggia of St Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican, following the conclave and the appearance of white smoke from the Sistine Chapel chimney, signalling that a new pontiff has been chosen.
His election overcame the traditional prohibition against a pope from the United States.