Inauguration Mass for New Pope Leo XIV to Be Held on 18th... First General Audience on 21st

Pope Leo XIV is celebrating Mass with cardinals at the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican on the 9th (local time). Photo by AFP and Yonhap News

The Vatican announced in a statement on the 9th (local time) that the inauguration Mass for the new Pope, Leo XIV, is scheduled to take place at St. Peter's Square on the 18th.

Pope Leo XIV's first general audience is expected to be held on the 21st. The general audience, barring any special events, is typically held every Wednesday morning and provides an opportunity for ordinary believers to meet the Pope in person.

Previously, the College of Cardinals, consisting of 133 electors, elected Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost of the United States as the 267th Pope through a secret ballot conclave held the previous day.