Cardinal Tagle presents Pope Leo XIV with Ring of the Fisherman

Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle on Sunday placed the Ring of the Fisherman on Pope Leo XIV's finger during the latter's inauguration as the 267th pontiff of the Catholic Church.

In Andy Peñafuerte III’s “24 Oras Weekend” report, thousands of Catholics attended Pope Leo XIV’s inauguration Mass in St. Peter's Square in the Vatican.

The Ring of the Fisherman is a symbol of the pontiff’s authority as the successor of St. Peter, a fisherman and the first head of the Church.

The pallium, or a vestment made from lambs' wool, was also placed on Pope Leo XIV’s shoulders, which symbolizes being the shepherd of the Catholic Church.

Before the Eucharistic celebration, Pope Leo XIV used the popemobile for the first time and greeted the people for about 30 minutes.

He was also seen giving blessings to infants.

During his homily, the 69-year-old pope urged the faithful to offer God’s love to everyone.

World leaders such as US Vice President JD Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also attended Pope Leo XIV’s inauguration Mass.

According to Italian media, about 250,000 devotees attended the inauguration Mass, including pilgrims from other countries. — Mariel Celine Serquiña/BM, GMA Integrated News