Pope Leo XIV held his first private Mass with the cardinal electors
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – On May 8, 2025, Pope Leo XIV was elected the 267th head of the Catholic Church.
Bishop William Byrne tells 22News, Pope Leo XIV has been working in the Vatican for several years now. Bryne believes his next steps will be settling in and getting used to a new life.
On May 9, 2025, Pope Leo XIV held his first Mass with the first two bible readings in English and Spanish to reflect his personal history. His public installation Mass will be on May 18th.Bishop said people are waiting to listen to his vision and words.
'I'm sure it'll be about the people, about those who have no voice, and also standing up for peace in our world,' said Bishop William Byrne, Bishop, Saint Michael's Cathedral.
Bishop Byrne also told 22News, he met Pope Leo XIV at a conference in Rome in September 2023. Pope Leo XIV coordinated that conference for bishops to understand their roles.After meeting him, Bishop said he is kind, welcoming, and intelligent.
To welcome the new pope, Saint Michael's Cathedral in Springfield will celebrate him at Mass on Sunday, May 11, 2025. It will be broadcast on 22 News at 10 am.
WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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