Crowds crammed the square and surrounding streets in Rome in the biggest gathering at the Vatican since the funeral of Leo's predecessor, Pope Francis, on April 26.
Born in Chicago, the 69-year-old pontiff spent many years as a missionary in Peru and also has Peruvian citizenship, meaning he is also the first pontiff tied to that South American nation.
People chanted “Viva il Papa” (Long Live the Pope) and “Papa Leone”, his name in Italian.
The vehicle moved quickly, but briefly stopped twice so Leo could bless three babies.
Francis, an Argentine, died on April 21 after leading the Church for 12 often turbulent years during which he battled with traditionalists and championed the poor and marginalised.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy also attended, as he did at Francis' funeral when he had face-to-face talks with U.S. President Donald Trump in St. Peter's Basilica.
Also attending the Vatican ceremony were the presidents of Peru, Israel and Nigeria, the prime ministers of Italy, Canada and Australia, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Focus on peace
His homily on Sunday is likely to indicate some of the priorities for his papacy, having already made clear over the past 10 days that he will push for peace whenever possible.
In a May 14 address to officials of the eastern Catholic Churches, many of whom are based in global hot spots such as Ukraine and the Middle East, the new pope pledged he would make “every effort” for peace.
Sunday's Mass will feature prayers in several languages, in a nod to the global reach of the 1.4-billion member Church, including Latin, Italian, Greek, Portuguese, French, Arabic, Polish, and Chinese.
The ceremonial gold signet ring is specially cast for each new pope and can be used by Leo to seal documents. It features a design of St. Peter holding the keys to Heaven and will be broken after his death, marking an end to his papacy.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( With first ride in a popemobile, Leo starts big inaugural ceremony before tens of thousands )
Also on site :