New Pope Leo XIV began celebrating his first mass as head of the Catholic Church on Friday, a private gathering for cardinals in the Sistine Chapel, according to video footage broadcast by the Vatican.

US-born Robert Francis Prevost will deliver his much-anticipated first homily as pontiff.

Chicago-born Robert Francis Prevost became on Thursday the 267th pope, spiritual leader to the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics, after a secret conclave by his fellow cardinals in the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel.

At 11:00 am (0900 GMT) Friday, the 69-year-old sometimes referred to in Rome as the “Latin Yankee” for his time as a missionary in Peru, will return to the chapel to celebrate a private mass with cardinals that will be broadcast by the Vatican, delivering his much-anticipated first homily as pope.

Tens of thousands of well-wishers cheered Leo as he appeared on the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica on Thursday evening — with many having no idea who the modest man before them was.

The American, who spent two decades in Peru and was only made a cardinal in 2023, had been on many Vatican watchers’ lists of potential popes, although he is far from being a globally recognised figure.

Over the coming days, from Friday’s mass to Sunday’s midday Regina Coeli prayer and a meeting with journalists at the Vatican on Monday, the actions and words of Leo will be closely scrutinised.

AFP 

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