Pope Lav took over the Episcopal chair in the Lateran Basilica
Pope Leo XIV. On Sunday, as a Roman bishop on Sunday, he took over the possession of St. John Lateran’s Basilica in the Eternal City.
Before leaving for the « mother of all churches », where the pope stayed before the Vatican, the Pope visited the capitol, the headquarters of the City Hall of the Italian capital. « Peace is the most powerful universal call of Rome, » Mayor Roberto Gualtieri told him, repeating the message of the American Pope, who has repeatedly condemned armed conflicts from his inauguration on May 18.
In Lateran, where each new Pope continues to come after the election to take over the Episcopal chair, Lav XIV. celebrated the Mass, calling the spirit of the cathedral, which he said should encourage « tenderness, willingness to sacrifice and that ability to listen not only to help others, but often to predict needs and expectations, even before they express themselves. »
It is in this monumental basilica that Lateran agreements between the Holy See and the Benita Mussolini regime were signed, which normalized relations between Italy and the Vatican after the annexation of Rome after the unification of Italy.
The Pope later has to go to the Basilica of St. Mary Velika, also in Rome, where his predecessor Francis was buried, who died on April 21 at the age of 88.
