Pope Leo XIV, the newly elected pontiff, made his grand entrance in St Peter’s Square for his inaugural mass, but one thing was notably different.
Arriving around 8:15AM local time, the 69-year-old pontiff waved to thousands from an open-top popemobile, sending the crowd into a frenzy.
The Pope was riding on the famous "popemobile", which has been a staple of papal appearances for decades, but it’s more than just a PR tool — it’s historically been the Pope’s last line of defense.
The tradition began with a Mercedes-Benz Nürburg 460 Pullman gifted to Pope Pius XI in 1930, complete with silk carpeting and doves on the exterior.
The term “popemobile” didn’t catch on until the 1970s, but since then, it’s been synonymous with both visibility and protection.
And there’s a very real reason for that.
In 1981, Pope John Paul II was shot twice in St Peter’s Square by Mehmet Ali Agca during one of his routine greetings to the public, per History.com.
Though he survived, the incident shocked the world and triggered the introduction of bulletproof upgrades to the popemobile.
While the Vatican still offers high-security vehicles, Pope Leo, much like Pope Francis before him, has made a deliberate choice to ride exposed, per Sky News.
Riding across St Peter's Square, the vehicle stopped occasionally so Leo could bless babies handed to him from the crowd.
If the open-top popemobile didn’t already mark Pope Leo as a rule-breaker, his first mass sealed it. The Vatican crowd was taken aback as the new pope spoke and sang — in English — with a clear Chicago accent.
It’s the first time English has ever been used to open a papal homily at such a symbolically rich moment, particularly the first mass in the iconic Sistine Chapel following the conclave on May 9.
Inside the basilica, Leo was formally presented with two major symbols of papal authority.
First, the Fisherman’s Ring, which honors Saint Peter — the original pope and fisherman by trade. The ring is a longtime emblem of papal duty and is unique to each pontiff.
Then came the pallium, a white strip of lambswool draped across the shoulders. This ancient garment represents the pope’s role as the shepherd to his global flock and is traditionally placed before Mass begins.
Following that, Pope Leo delivered his homily to the public — a chance to set the tone for his papacy and outline key themes of his leadership.
According to the Telegraph, around 250,000 people gathered at the Vatican to catch a glimpse of the new pontiff.
While Donald Trump has not attended the inauguration, JD Vance is in attendance.
As is Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, who last saw Vance when the two had a fiery exchange in the White House.