World dignitaries present at Vatican for Pope’s inaugural mass
The Vatican is prepared for a huge crowd Tuesday as Pope Francis hosts political leaders from 130 nations and representatives from a variety of religions for his installation Mass.
Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to pack St. Peter’s Square for the celebration, which formally installs Francis as the new leader of the world’s 1.2 billion Roman Catholics.
Among the high-level guests, the spiritual leader of the world’s Orthodox Christians, Bartholomew, is expected to attend. He would be the first patriarch from the Istanbul-based church to witness a papal inauguration since the two branches of Christianity split nearly 1,000 years ago.
More than 30 delegations of other Christian churches, as well as representatives from the Jewish, Muslim and various other faiths, also will attend.
Vatican officials also released details of Francis’ official ring, which once was offered to Pope Paul VI, who presided over the second half of the Second Vatican Council, which is credited with modernizing the Roman Catholic Church.
Francis will receive the ring during Tuesday’s installation Mass.
