MAY 18 INAUGURATION
An inauguration Mass for Leo will likely be held in St Peter’s Sq. on Sunday, Might 18, the Vatican mentioned.
World and non secular leaders are invited to the inauguration, which marks the formal launch of a papacy. Pope Francis’ inauguration in 2013 attracted a crowd estimated at 200,000 folks.
The brand new pope can even go away senior Vatican officers of their roles in the interim, giving him time to resolve earlier than making definitive appointments, the Vatican mentioned.
All Vatican senior officers, appointed for five-year phrases, serve on the pleasure of the pope. A brand new pontiff normally rolls over present mandates at the least initially earlier than deciding whether or not to alter key positions.
The pope was elected on the finish of a two-day conclave that was wrapped up on Thursday night when white smoke billowed from the chimney on the Sistine Chapel.
Given the character of the conclaves, when cardinals are shut away from the world and sworn to secrecy, little or nothing is more likely to emerge – at the least for now – about how Leo obtained the required two-thirds majority of the vote so swiftly.
The successor to Pope Francis, who died last month at the age of 88, inherits a lot of main challenges, starting from a price range shortfall to divisions over whether or not the Church ought to be extra welcoming in direction of the LGBT group and divorcees, and will let girls play a higher function in its affairs.
He can even have a packed agenda, with the Vatican celebrating a Holy 12 months that brings thousands and thousands of extra vacationers to Rome.
