First US pope leads inaugural mass

Pope Leo XIV formally began his reign yesterday by reaching out to conservatives who felt orphaned under his predecessor, calling for unity, vowing to preserve the Catholic Church's heritage and not rule like "an autocrat".

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After a first ride in the popemobile before tens of thousands of people in St Peter's Square, Leo was formally installed as the 267th pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church and sovereign monarch of Vatican City at an outdoor Mass.

Well-wishers in the crowd waved US and Peruvian flags, with people from both countries claiming him as the first pope from their nations.