In a ceremony steeped in pageantry and symbolism, the Bishop of Rome
was officially installed against the magnificent backdrop of St Peter’s
Basilica.
Watched
by about 200,000,including 31 heads of state and government and 132
foreign delegations, Pope Francis made his entrance to St Peter’s Square
amid trumpet blasts and a rousing reception from the faithful.
Standing in the back of an open-top jeep, the new Pope waved and gave
the thumbs up to his audience, in keeping with the laid-back style that
is becoming a hallmark of his papacy.
Already labelled the
“unpredictable pope” because of his spontaneous words and actions, Papa
Francesco kept security on their toes when he got out of the jeep to
greet some pilgrims and kiss a few foreheads.
Swiss Guards manned various points around the plaza where people had
started gathering from the early hours of the morning. Security was
formidable and helicopters hovered overhead as the leader of the world’s
1.2bn Catholics continued his tour of the plaza before returning to the
basilica.
On the steps of St Peter’s, where a red throne was installed, Pope Francis received the symbols of papal power.
Dressed in simple white robes, in stark contrast to the elaborate garb
of his cardinals, the Pope was first given the pallium, a lambswool
shawl symbolising his role as a shepherd. He was then presented with a
fisherman’s ring, the legacy of St Peter, after which six cardinals
pledged obedience, a standard rite of the ceremony.
The Pope then opened the Mass with the words “Pax vobis”, Latin for “Peace be with you”.
He urged the princes, world leaders and thousands of ordinary people
at his installation Mass to protect the environment, the weakest, and
the poorest.
Pope Francis was interrupted by applause several
times during his homily, including when he spoke of the need to protect
the environment, serve one another with love, and not allow “omens of
destruction”, hatred, envy, and pride to “defile our lives”.
He said the role of the pope is to open his arms and protect all of
humanity, but “especially the poorest, the weakest, the least important,
those whom Matthew lists in the final judgment on love: The hungry, the
thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick, and those in prison”.
“Today, amid so much darkness, we need to see the light of hope and to be men and women who bring hope to others,” he said.
“To protect creation, to protect every man and every woman, to look
upon them with tenderness and love, is to open up a horizon of hope, it
is to let a shaft of light break through the heavy clouds.”
During the homily, delivered in glorious sunshine, the Pope emphasised
how he saw his role as one of giving service. There were cheers from the
faithful as he said “the true power of the pope is service... a service
humble, solid, and full of faith”.
Among those attending the ceremony was President Michael D Higgins, who
later spoke with the Pope. During a brief exchange in the Basilica, the
pontiff asked Mr Higgins to pass his greetings to the Irish people.
“Best wishes to the people of Ireland,” he said. “And I ask them for their prayers.”
The ceremony was not as well attended as the Vatican might have
wished for. A predicted audience of 1m was wildly optimistic. There were
dozens of empty seats in the upper half of the plaza while hundreds
were forced to remain behind barriers on the Via della Conciliazione.
However, for those of us with a bird’s eye view from a rooftop terrace, the richness of the imagery will endure forever.