SOURCE :- THE AGE NEWS
Tens of thousands of people are expected to flood St Peter’s Square on Sunday to witness the papal Mass where Pope Leo XIV will be inaugurated.
The main service is expected to start at 10am local time (6pm Sunday, AEST).
Pope Leo XIV shakes hands with onlookers in Vatican City on Monday. Credit: Bloomberg
When he officially becomes head of the Catholic Church, Pope Leo will be presented with a number of traditional papal garments and adornments, each with their own special meaning.
What can we expect from the papal inauguration?
The Mass begins with prayers at the main altar of St Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City, with the new Pope kissing the altar and spreading incense.
Pope Leo will then descend into St Peter’s tomb under the basilica, where deacons will retrieve a signet ring – famously called the fisherman’s ring – and the pallium.
Pope Francis at his inauguration mass in St Peter’s Square in 2013. Credit: Getty Images
Then there will be a procession into St Peter’s Square, where the main service will take place and the Pope will be officially inaugurated.
Confirmed attendees for the ceremonial Mass include Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, the Duke of Edinburgh Prince Edward, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and US Vice President J.D. Vance.
The papal Mass for Pope Francis lasted about two hours.
Do all popes wear the same signet ring?
During an inauguration, each pope receives a new version of the gold fisherman’s ring bearing their name. The ring was once used to seal papal documents, but is now used only ceremonially.
The fisherman’s ring is so called in honour of St Peter, as each signet ring is stamped with an image of him on his boat. The first apostles were considered “fishers of men” in the gospels.
Pope Benedict XVI wearing the fisherman’s ring in 2013. Credit: Getty Images
Towards the end of the Mass, Pope Leo will greet the cardinals, who will kiss the new ring.
Mathew Schmalz, a professor of Catholic studies at Holy Cross University, told the London Telegraph that the ritual is used to “symbolise he is owed obedience not only by cardinals but all rank-and-file Catholics around the world”.
Those who have seen the film Conclave will know that after the death of a pontiff, the ring is chiselled or completely destroyed, symbolising the transfer of papal power.
What else is the Pope presented with?
During the Mass, Pope Leo will also receive and put on the pallium, a white lambswool vestment with crosses that signifies his ascension to the papacy.
Wool for the pallium always comes from exactly two lambs which were blessed by Trappist monks during the feast of St Agnes, the National Catholic Reporter said.
The wool is then spun by Benedictine nuns of St Cecilia, who are based at a basilica in Trastevere, a neighbourhood in Rome.
Pope Francis wearing his lambswool pallium around his shoulders. Credit: LightRocket via Getty Images
Popes also used to be presented with a papal tiara – sometimes adorned with rubies, sapphires and pearls – but this practice was abandoned under Pope Paul VI.
While not officially banned, the papal tiara was part of a formal coronation process that has not occurred since 1963 and was replaced by the inauguration.
