Latest news with #popemobile
The Standard
18-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Standard
Joe Biden diagnosed with aggressive prostate cancer
With first ride in a popemobile, Leo XIV starts big inaugural ceremony before tens of thousands
The Independent
18-05-2025
- General
- The Independent
Pope Leo's heartwarming gesture to babies on his first popemobile ride
Pope Leo XIV made a heartwarming gesture during his first ride in the popemobile on Sunday, 18 May, by blessing two babies in front of thousands of well-wishers. The pontiff delivered his inaugural mass in the Vatican's St. Peter's Square after replacing Pope Francis, who died on 21 April after leading the Catholic Church for 12 years. Ahead of the formal ceremony, the pontiff greeted enthusiastic crowds, estimated to reach around 150,000 people, during his first ride in the open-top popemobile. Faithful held flags and cheered 'Viva il Papa!' as Leo, the first American pope, waved back to them as he looped slowly through the square.
Free Malaysia Today
18-05-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Leo starts big inaugural ceremony with first ride in popemobile
Pope Leo XIV rode into St Peter's Square on a popemobile for the first time today. (AP pic) VATICAN CITY : Pope Leo XIV rode into St Peter's Square on a popemobile for the first time today as tens of thousands of people, including dozens of world leaders, celebrated him as the new leader of the world's 1.4. billion Catholics. 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. Well-wishers carried US and Peruvian flags to cheer the first pope from the US, who will celebrate his inaugural mass later this morning. 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. One person in the crowd shouted out 'White Sox, White Sox', referring to the Chicago baseball team at the bottom of the American League standings. Leo has never abandoned the team despite its recent lacklustre performance and his fellow diehard fans hope his support can lift them out of the doldrums. People chanted 'Viva il Papa' (Long Live the Pope) and 'Papa Leone', his name in Italian. The open-topped popemoble was surrounded by more than a dozen security guards as it drove through the square and down the long boulevard that leads to the Tiber River, for the Leo's first ride. The vehicle moved quickly, but briefly stopped twice so Leo could bless three babies. Robert Prevost, a relative unknown on the world stage who only became a cardinal two years ago, was elected pope on May 8 after a short conclave of cardinals that lasted barely 24 hours. 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. US vice-president JD Vance, a Catholic convert who clashed with Francis over the Trump administration's hard-line immigration policies, is leading a US delegation alongside secretary of state Marco Rubio, who is also Catholic. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also attended, as he did at Francis' funeral when he had face-to-face talks with US President Donald Trump in St Peter's Basilica. Zelensky last met Vance in February in the White House, when the two men clashed fiercely in front of the world's media. 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. Many European royals took their place in the VIP seats near the main altar, including Spanish King Felipe and Queen Letizia. Focus on peace Robert Prevost, a relative unknown on the world stage, was elected pope on May 8. (EPA Images pic) In various sermons and comments since his election as pope, Leo has praised Francis repeatedly but has not offered many hints about whether he will continue with the late pontiff's vision of opening the church up to the modern world. His homily today 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. His first words in an appearance to crowds in St Peter's Square on the night of his election were 'Peace be with you all', echoing words Catholics use in their celebrations. 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. He also offered the Vatican as a mediator in global conflicts, saying war was 'never inevitable'. Today'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. As part of the ceremony, Leo will also formally receive two items as he takes up the papacy: a liturgical vestment known as a pallium, a strip of lambswool which represents his role as a shepherd, and a special band known as the fisherman's ring. 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.
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
AP PHOTOS: Pope Leo XIV takes his first popemobile ride in St. Peter's Square ahead of installation
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Leo XIV took his first popemobile ride through St. Peter's Square ahead of his installation on Sunday, waving from the back of the open-back truck to the crowd waving flags and cheering 'Viva il Papa!' The bells of St. Peter's Basilica tolled as Leo waved as the truck looped slowly through the square. The crowd cheered and waved a sea of Peruvian, American and Holy See flags mixed in with flags of other nations and banners. ___ This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.
Daily Mail
18-05-2025
- Daily Mail
How Pope Leo XIV broke a major rule with his popemobile entrance before his inaugural Mass
Pope Leo XIV broke a major rule at his inaugural mass today as he arrived in his popemobile. Royals, world leaders and Catholics are gathered in Vatican City's St Peter's Square to attend Leo's historic Sunday mass service. The newly elected Pope Leo, 69, arrived at around 8.15am and could be seen addressing the crowd from his open-top popemobile. Similarly to predecessor Pope Francis, Chicago-born Leo has chosen to ditch the bulletproof glass protections usually offered to pontiffs. The first 'official' popemobile was a Mercedes-Benz Nürburg 460 Pullman given to Pope Pius XI in 1930, and came with plush silk carpeting and doves embossed on the exterior. Its famous nickname came later in the 1970s. It was introduced as a key way to interact with followers, but after an assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II in 1981, it was modified to also act as a defence vehicle. Mehmet Ali Agca was a hitman and former member of Turkish far-right group the Grey Wolves. He was imprisoned for the murder of Abdi Ipekci, who was the editor-in-chief of a Turkish newspaper in February 1979, but escaped and travelled to Vatican City on May 13, 1981 to assassinate Pope John Paul. Bodyguards hold Pope John Paul II after he was shot on May 13, 1981, in St Peter's Square by a Turkish extremist Mehmet Ali Agca Agca opened fire and shot the Pope four times as he was greeting worshippers in St Peter's Square, leaving him seriously injured. The gunman was sentenced to 29 years in jail for the shooting and for murdering the newspaper editor and now lives in Istanbul. After the attack, popemobiles were fitted with bulletproof glass and heavy armour to protect the pontiffs from any further attempts on their lives. The late Pope Francis was the first to turn down the security measures when he was elected in 2013, instead opting for a open-top, unlike Pope Benedict who came before him. In 2014, he told Spanish media he didn't like the glass 'sardine can' as he felt it put distance between himself and his followers. Pope Leo's decision to keep the same exposed design signals another break from tradition after the American pontiff opted to speak English at his first mass in the Sistine Chapel following his election on May 9. English is hardly ever used as the opening language of a papal homily, particularly in such a formal and symbolic moment like the first mass. Addressing the cardinals in his Chicago accent, Leo explained he would sing a new song to the Lord before continuing the rest of his mass in Italian. Pope Leo XIV greets the faithful as people hand him babies as he arrives in the popemobile As he arrived for his inaugural mass today, Leo waved from the back of the popemobile which looped slowly through the square as the crowd waved flags and cheered 'Viva il Papa!'. Born in Chicago, the 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. One person in the crowd shouted out 'White Sox, White Sox,' referring to the Chicago baseball team at the bottom of the American League standings. It was here that Francis took his last popemobile ride on Easter Sunday, and it was on the back of a popemobile that Francis' casket was brought across Rome last month to its final resting place. Leo, an Augustinian missionary elected on May 8 after a 24-hour conclave, seems a bit more timid than Francis. But all eyes will be on how he manages the throngs of pilgrims, tourists and curiosity-seekers, and the babies who will inevitably be passed up to him for him to bless. After the festive public tour in the square, Leo headed into the basilica to begin the solemn ceremony to inaugurate his ministry in a series of rites that emphasise the service that he's called to perform in leading the Catholic Church. He prays first at the tomb of St. Peter, considered to be the first pope, under the basilica's main altar and then processes out into the piazza for the Mass.
