President Attends Inaugural Mass of Pope Leo XIV in Vatican

Vatican City, May 18 (TASR) - President Peter Pellegrini attended the inaugural mass of Pope Leo XIV on Sunday on St. Peter's Square in the Vatican City, and stated in a Facebook post that the Pope called for unity in upholding the values of love and understanding, which promote hope and solidarity around the world. "May this message serve as an inspiration for us all!" the president noted. Pellegrini added that thousands of the faithful from all around the world attended the inaugural mass. "It's a great honour for me to be present at this unique and historic event, to represent all of Slovakia and to express my sincere support to the Holy Father in his demanding mission of leading the Catholic Church in times full of challenges," Pellegrini stated. Sixty-nine-year-old Robert Francis Prevost was elected by the cardinals in the conclave as the 267th pope of the Roman Church on May 8, taking the name Leo XIV. He assumed the papacy with full authority immediately, while the inaugural mass, which formally marks the beginning of his pontificate, takes place ten days after the election. In addition to the Slovak president, many other leaders attended Sunday's inaugural mass. According to Sky News, delegations from around 200 countries reportedly gathered in the Vatican. lin