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Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Pope Leo XIV before their private audience today Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Vatican
Pope Leo XIV receives papal ring during inauguration and has private audience with Zelenskyy
Zelenskyy also met with US vice president JD Vance and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio after the papal audience.
LAST UPDATE | 18 May 2025
POPE LEO XIV received his papal ring during his inauguration in St Peter’s and also made his popemobile debut this morning.
The new pope then held a private audience with Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
He also invited Leo XIV to make an apostolic visit to the country, remarking that “such a visit would bring real hope to all believers and to all our people”.
“The martyred Ukraine is waiting for negotiations for a just and lasting peace to finally happen,” Leo XIV said in a prayer after the inauguration Mass.
Zelenskyy lined up to shake hands with Pope Leo afterwards, and then he and his wife joined the pontiff for a private audience.
In a video published by the Vatican, the soft-spoken Leo told the Ukrainian leader: “Nice to see you again.”
When they were all seated, he apologised for making the couple wait.
Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram: “We are grateful for the special words spoken today at the solemn mass about the need for a just peace and for the attention given to Ukraine and our people.
“Every nation deserves to live in peace and security.”
After the inauguration Mass, we had a meeting with Pope Leo XIV @Pontifex. We are grateful to His Holiness for the audience.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) May 18, 2025
For millions of people around the world, the Pontiff is a symbol of hope for peace. The authority and voice of the Holy See can play an important role in… pic.twitter.com/6pFGJfcrae
He offered his congratulations to the pope “on the beginning of such a special mission”.
“May the prayers for a just peace and a dignified life for all people be heard,” he said.
World leaders
Representatives of countries around the world were in attendance this morning, including US Vice President JD Vance, who converted to Catholicism at the age of 35.
While Zelenskyy and Vance famously clashed at the White House in February, the two shared a handshake prior to the inauguration this morning.
Vice President JD Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy greeted each other and shook hands prior to Pope Leo XIV's inaugural Mass on Sunday. https://t.co/E20CG883N0 pic.twitter.com/Vra6gZkOIY
— ABC News (@ABC) May 18, 2025
Zelenskyy then met with US vice president JD Vance and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in the Vatican Gardens after his papal audience.
“I reaffirmed that Ukraine is ready to be engaged in real diplomacy and underscored the importance of a full and unconditional ceasefire as soon as possible,” wrote Zelenskyy on social media.
Good meeting with @VP J. D. Vance and Secretary of State @SecRubio in Rome.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) May 18, 2025
During our talks we discussed negotiations in Istanbul to where the Russians sent a low level delegation of non-decision-makers. I reaffirmed that Ukraine is ready to be engaged in real diplomacy and… pic.twitter.com/ko2cKKYvCZ
Born in Chicago as Robert Francis Prevost, Leo was elected by fellow cardinals on 8 May to lead the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics. Many observers were surprised at the choice of an American.
Leo XIV, prior to his elevation, criticised US President Donald Trump’s administration over its harsh rhetoric and approach to immigration. He also responded critically to Vance’s interpretation of his adopted religion.
When Marco Rubio was asked earlier about the pontiff’s calls for compassion toward migrants, he said: “I understand there’s this temptation to cover the papacy as a political office.”
“It is not a political office. It is a spiritual office.
“I would argue there’s nothing compassionate about mass migration. There’s nothing compassionate about open borders that allows people to be trafficked here,” Rubio said.
Here at home, President Michael D Higgins and his wife Sabina Higgins were also in attendance, as well as Independent TD Noel Grealish.
President Michael D Higgins and his wife Sabina greeting Pope Leo XIV in St Peter's Basilica following his papal inauguration. The new pope will hold a private audience with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Read more here: https://t.co/B1L4Qt8m3k pic.twitter.com/BW3grVfk1H
— TheJournal.ie (@thejournal_ie) May 18, 2025
Other notable guests included German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
Argentine President Javier Milei, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Israeli President Isaac Herzog, Colombia’s Gustavo Petro and a host of European royals also due attended.
Italian authorities have deployed thousands of security officers for the event, alongside snipers on rooftops and anti-drone operations.
Meanwhile, the new pope also held a private audience today with the Peruvian president Dina Boluarte.
Leo XIV, as well as being the first pontiff from the US, is also a Peruvian citizen, having spent over two decades in the country.
Fisherman’s ring
The papal ring, known as the Fisherman’s Ring, refers back to St Peter, the first pope, who was a fisherman.
“Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men,” Jesus said to Peter and Andrew in Matthew’s Gospel.
The ring is forged anew for each pope and which he will wear on his finger until he dies, when it will be defaced.
Jesus also said that Peter would be the “rock” on which he would build the Church – for Catholics, this conferred the leadership of the Church onto Peter and made him the first pope.
This ring was presented to Leo XIV by Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, who had been seen as a front runner to become pope and is sometimes dubbed the “Asian Francis”.
🇻🇦 Cardinal Tagle places the gold fisherman’s ring on Pope Leo XIV’s hand pic.twitter.com/vuz4yRO4zr
— Imperial Material ♚ (@implmaterial) May 18, 2025
While this morning marked the inauguration of Leo’s papacy, he took up full papal powers upon being elected as pope following the conclave.
Leo XIV’s inauguration Mass began in St Peter’s Square this morning at 10am Rome time (9am Irish time), but he greeted the faithful in the popemobile at around 9am.
Today’s celebration officially commenced Leo’s Petrine Ministry as the successor of the apostle Peter and the new leader of the Catholic Church.
In addition to the Fisherman’s Ring, Leo XIV was also presented with the Pallium – a vestment made of lamb’s wool that points to his role as the “Good Shepherd”.
Homily
In his homily, Leo XIV remarked that the death of Pope Francis “filled our hearts with sadness” but added that his Easter Sunday appearance at St Peter’s on the day before his death was a “final blessing”.
He added that as pope, he will “look to the future, in order to confront the questions, concerns and challenges of today’s world”.
“I was chosen, without any merit of my own, and now, with fear and trembling, I come to you as a brother, who desires to be the servant of your faith and your joy.”
Leo XIV added that spreading the Gospel is “never a question of capturing others by force, by religious propaganda or by means of power”.
He added: “We still see too much discord, too many wounds caused by hatred, violence, prejudice, the fear of difference, and an economic paradigm that exploits the Earth’s resources and marginalises the poorest.”
After the inauguration, Leo XIV remarked that Gaza has been reduced to starvation due to an Israeli aid blockade.
He added that in Myanmar, “new hostilities have cut short innocent young lives”, while “martyred Ukraine awaits negotiations for a just and lasting peace”.
Inauguration
Leo XIV was elected the 267th pope on 8 May after a secret conclave vote of cardinals that lasted less than 24 hours.
Succeeding the charismatic but impulsive Francis, he takes over a Church still battling the fall-out of the clerical child abuse scandal, and trying to adapt to the modern world.
Modernity was not the concern on Sunday, however.
Although no pope has been crowned during an inauguration mass since Paul VI in 1963, the event is still a grand affair steeped in tradition.
Leo began by visiting the tomb of St Peter – one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ and the first pope – which is located under the altar of the basilica that bears his name.
With reporting from AFP
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