Leo,who is known for choosing his words carefully,has ramped up his criticism of the Iran war in recent weeks.
Anglican leaders hailed the moment as a ‘healing of history’ that began with Henry VIII’s violent split from the Catholic Church over his marriage to Catherine of Aragon.
The rare one-on-one talks,the first for an Australian prime minister in 16 years,included a deeply personal moment when the prime minister asked the Pope to bless his mother’s rosary beads.
Their meeting signalled the Vatican’s diplomatic influence under the new Pope and its potential to act as a venue for peace talks between Russia and Ukraine.
Albanese met the Pope soon after the Mass,shaking hands briefly with other leaders within the Vatican.
Receiving a new signet ring and visiting a tomb before the Mass starts are just some of the details of Leo XIV’s inauguration on Sunday.
In his first Sunday address as pontiff,Pope Leo XIV appealed for a ceasefire in Gaza,peace in Ukraine,and applauded the tentative truce between India and Pakistan.
The selection of Robert Prevost surprised outside observers. But as other contenders fell away,one after another,the Chicago cardinal made quiet sense to those locked in the room.
The children at one Sydney Catholic school think it’s “pretty cool” that the new Pope once graced their halls.
The newly elected leader of the Catholic Church also said Jesus couldn’t be reduced to a type of “superman”,in an apparent message to evangelical Christians.