Pope Leo urges unity, condemns capitalism and war at inaugural Mass

Pope Leo XIV, the 69‑year‑old former Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, was inaugurated as the 267th pope in St. Peter’s Square before tens of thousands. In his inaugural Mass, he called for global unity, condemned unchecked capitalism, and urged the Church to be a force for healing and reconciliation. He emphasized uniting the Church as a model for the world and prayed for peace in conflict zones like Gaza, Myanmar, and Ukraine. Leo, the first pope from the U.S. and also a Peruvian citizen, received papal regalia symbolizing his new role. World leaders, including Ukraine’s President Zelensky and U.S. Vice President JD Vance, attended, Yahoo News has reported. Zelensky praised the pope as a symbol of hope for peace after a meeting.