Pope Leo XIV will hold his inaugural Mass on Sunday in a ceremony expected to draw a uniquely large number of world leaders, dignitaries and religious figures to St. Peter’s Square. The Mass will mark the official start of the pontificate for Leo, .

Born in Chicago and formerly serving in Lagos during the 1980s, Pope Leo has quickly become a figure of significant global interest, not only for his nationality but for his calls to prioritize peace, justice and interreligious dialogue. His election follows .

The Mass will be streamed by Vatican Media and broadcast by major networks across Europe, North America, and Australia.

When Is Pope Leo XIV’s First Mass?

The inaugural Mass will be held at 10 a.m. Sunday local time in Rome (4 a.m. Eastern time). The liturgy marks the official beginning of Pope Leo’s tenure as head of the Roman Catholic Church. It is the most significant ceremonial event , and is expected to feature traditional vestments, the delivery of the papal pallium and the formal presentation of the Fisherman’s Ring.

How to Watch Pope Leo XIV’s Inaugural Mass

The Vatican will stream the ceremony live via Vatican Media’s and on its official website. Live coverage from Vatican City is also expected to be available through multiple major news outlets. Viewers who prefer to watch online can access livestreams via the networks’ digital platforms, typically by signing in with their streaming credentials, according to The Economic Times. Viewers can also expect translations in multiple languages for international audiences.

Which Public Figures Are Attending Pope Leo’s Inaugural Mass?

A wide range of global political leaders and dignitaries will attend ‘s inaugural Mass, reflecting the new pontiff’s international significance. Below is a list of notable attendees and their affiliations:

• JD Vance, U.S. vice president
• Marco Rubio, U.S. secretary of state
• Mark Carney, prime minister of Canada
• Anthony Albanese, prime minister of Australia
• François Bayrou, prime minister of France
• Isaac Herzog, president of Israel
• Bola Ahmed Tinubu, president of Nigeria
• Dick Schoof, prime minister of the Netherlands
• Queen Máxima of the Netherlands
• Prince Edward, representing the British Royal Family
• Volodymyr Zelensky, president of Ukraine (attendance pending)

Some guests have made recent public comments on the Catholic Church and Pope Leo’s papacy. , addressing resurfaced posts made by Pope Leo critical of U.S. immigration policy, said in a May 9 interview with Hugh Hewitt: “I’m sure he’s going to say a lot of things that I love [and] I’m sure he’ll say some things that I disagree with, but I’ll continue to pray for him and the church despite it all and through it all.”

Rubio said at a news conference: “I don’t view the papacy as a political office. I view it as a spiritual one,” adding, “We, too, are compassionate towards migrants. I would argue there’s nothing compassionate about mass migration.”

, a practicing Catholic, will be joined by Indigenous leaders including Métis National Council President Victoria Pruden, according to CBC/Radio-Canada. Pruden used the occasion to call for the Vatican to return cultural artifacts: “These artifacts were taken during eras of profound injustice. Their return is an essential step in advancing reconciliation and repairing the deep harms caused by colonial policies, including the role the church played in the residential school system,” she told the news outlet.

In his remarks ahead of the Mass, Pope Leo emphasized outreach and unity, saying, “I believe that religions and interreligious dialogue can make a fundamental contribution to fostering a climate of peace. … Without it, it is difficult, if not impossible, to bring about the purification of the heart necessary for building peaceful relationships,” as reported by CBC/Radio-Canada.

What’s Next

Following Sunday’s Mass, Pope Leo is expected to meet with attending world leaders in a series of bilateral sessions at the Vatican. The Vatican has not released details about any upcoming encyclicals or major doctrinal announcements, but Pope Leo’s early speeches suggest a pontificate focused heavily on social justice and reconciliation.