Pope Leo XIV delivers 1st mass in Sistine Chapel, promises light amid “dark nights of this world”

Just one day after being elected by a Vatican City conclave as the newest leader of the Catholic Church, Pope Leo XIV delivered his first mass in the Sistine Chapel Friday.

First speaking in his native English tongue, the American-Peruvian pontiff prayed as a “faithful administrator,” he can help the Church become a “beacon that illuminates the dark nights of this world."

Though Pope Leo, born Robert Prevost, spent most of his career as a bishop in Peru away from the media and became a cardinal in 2023, much of the conclave has expressed joy and positivity about the decision to elect him.

Vatican Correspondent Joshua McElwee believes the pontiff will share similar values with the late Pope Francis and focus on calls for world peace.