Pope Leo XIV put on the Fisherman's Ring and officially began his duties.

18.05.2025 15:50

With a grand ceremony held in St. Peter's Square in the Vatican, the new spiritual leader of Catholics, American Pope Leo XIII, officially began his tenure. Thousands of people filled the square from the early hours of the morning as Leo was presented with the "Fisherman's Ring," valued at 520,000 dollars, known as the papal ring. In his speech during the ceremony, Pope Leo called for peace.

After the death of Pope Francis on April 21, a special grand ceremony and mass was held in St. Peter's Square for Pope Leo XIV, who was elected during the Conclave held on May 8 in the Vatican.

HE PUT ON THE PAPAL RING

Pope Leo XIV, who arrived at the ceremony accompanied by his cardinals, was presented with the "Palio," a white cloth belt symbolizing the papacy, by Cardinal Mario Zenari at the very beginning of the ceremony, followed by the "Fisherman's Ring," known as the papal ring, presented by Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle.

ITS VALUE IS ASTOUNDING

This ring carries the personal seal of the pope and is used to stamp official documents. The ring features a relief depicting St. Peter, who is considered the first pope by Catholics and was a fisherman, casting a net into the water.

Photos shared by the Vatican media revealed the details of the ring. After the pope's death, the ring is destroyed, and a new ring is made for the new pope. Daily Mail recently reported that the monetary value of this ring is $520,000 (20 million 205 thousand TL). However, for the Catholic Church, the value of the ring cannot be measured in money. After these procedures, Pope Leo XIV led his first mass in front of the altar in St. Peter's Square.

A LARGE NUMBER OF LEADERS CAME TO THE VATICAN

Thousands of people followed the inauguration ceremony in St. Peter's Square. Many leaders and foreign guests were also present for the inauguration ceremony of the new pope. Numerous leaders, including Italian President Sergio Mattarella, King Felipe VI of Spain, President Dina Boluarte of Peru, President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine, U.S. Vice President JD Vance, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, German Chancellor Friederich Merz, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and European Parliament President Roberta Metsola, attended the inauguration ceremony of the new pope.

MEHMET NURI ERSOY REPRESENTED TURKEY

The ceremony was attended by Turkey's Minister of Culture and Tourism, Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, as a representative of Turkey. Additionally, Bartholomew, the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, who has relations with the Vatican, was also present at the mass. While extensive security measures were taken by Italian security forces in and around the Vatican, a police helicopter conducted patrol flights throughout the ceremony.

CALL FOR PEACE FROM POPE LEO

Pope Leo XIV, who began his speech at the ceremony by commemorating the late Pope Francis, expressed deep sorrow over the passing of his predecessor. He stated that the Conclave wanted to respond to the challenges of today, saying, "I would like to say that our first great desire is a united church."

In the final part of the mass, Pope Leo XIV made another brief speech, thanking the foreign leaders who attended the ceremony and the crowd that filled the square. He stated, "We cannot forget our brothers who suffer due to wars. In Gaza, children, families, and elderly people who have managed to survive are facing hunger. New conflicts in Myanmar have ended the lives of innocent youth. Devastated Ukraine is ultimately waiting for negotiations to begin for a just and lasting peace."

After the mass, Pope Leo XIV accepted the congratulations of foreign guests one by one inside St. Peter's Basilica, while Minister Ersoy also congratulated the Pope.