The Holy See announces the upcoming schedule for the newly elected Pontiff, including the Mass to begin his pontificate.

Vatican News

The Holy See Press Office announced the upcoming schedule for the newly elected Pope Leo XIV. His inaugural Mass will be held in St. Peter’s Square on Sunday, May 18 at 10am Rome time.

Three weeks of firsts

• May 10, Saturday – Meeting with Cardinals
• May 11, Sunday – Regina Caeli prayer from the Central Loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica

• May 12, Monday – Meeting with the international press
  
• May 16, Friday – Meeting with the Diplomatic Corps (Heads of Mission)
  
• May 18, Sunday – 10:00 AM, St. Peter’s Square: Mass for the Beginning of the Pontificate
  
• May 20, Tuesday – Taking possession of the Papal Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls
  
• May 21, Wednesday – First General Audience
  
• May 24, Saturday – Meeting with the Roman Curia and Vatican City State employees
  
• May 25, Sunday     – Regina Caeli
                                   – Taking possession of the Papal Basilica of St. John Lateran
                                   –  Taking possession of the Papal Basilica of St. Mary Major
   

In another statement, the Press Office shared the Holy Father’s “wish that the Heads and Members of the Institutions of the Roman Curia, as well as the Secretaries and the President of the Pontifical Commission for the Vatican City State, continue, on a provisional basis” in their respective roles donec aliter provideatur (until otherwise provided).

Pope Leo XIV, however, maintains the right to “a certain amount of time for reflection, prayer, and dialogue” before making any “definitive appointments or confirmations.”

Date of Birth: Sept. 14, 1955

Nationality: American and Peruvian

Position: Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops; president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America under Francis

Experience: Archbishop of Chiclayo, Peru; head of the Augustinian religious order

Made a cardinal by: Pope Francis

Francis brought Prevost, 69, to the Vatican in 2023 to serve as the powerful head of the office that vets bishop nominations from around the world, one of the most important jobs in the Catholic Church. As a result, Prevost has a prominence going into the conclave that few other cardinals have.

Prevost, a Chicago native, is also a Peruvian citizen and lived for years in Peru, first as a missionary and then as an archbishop.

Robert Prevost is elected as new Pope Leo XIV after just two days of the conclave. To thunderous applause from the thousands gathered in St. Peters Sqaure the new Pontiff greeted the crowds.

The cardinals will vote up to four times each day in two sessions – two in the morning and two in the afternoon, with smoke seen at the end of each session. All the following are UK times:

The morning voting session runs from 8.30am-11.30am, with two votes taking place during this session.

We expect to see smoke around the end of the session. Of course, if one candidate wins the first round of morning voting, we could see smoke earlier.

If the smoke is black, meaning no pope has been elected, the second round of voting today will run from 3.30pm-6.00pm.

Again, two rounds of voting will take place – and we’ll see smoke at the end of the session.

Crowds were left waiting for hours today as cardinals began their first round of voting.

And Vatican sources have now confirmed the two causes for the voting delay.

Here are the reasons: 

• The sermon by Raniero Cantalamessa, an Italian cardinal, was longer than expected (between 45 minutes and one hour);
• Several cardinals needed help with the translation. 

It should be noted on the second reason that many of the cardinals don’t speak any Italian or Latin and have also been in the role for a short period of time.