Rajya Sabha Dy Chair attends inaugural mass of Pope Leo XIV

Vatican City, May 18 : Deputy Chairperson of the Rajya Sabha, Harivansh attended the inaugural mass of Pope Leo XIV at Saint Peter's Square in Vatican City on Sunday.

Harivansh extended best wishes on behalf of the people of India, as per a statement by the Office of Deputy Chairman, Rajya Sabha said.

Leo XIV, the first ever American Pope, condemned the exploitation of the poor and called for unity in the church during his inaugural Mass in St. Peter's Square, an event attended by world leaders, royalty and thousands of believers, as per CNN.

The 267th pontiff arrived at the Vatican on the popemobile and was welcomed by cheers from the huge crowds as he toured St. Peter's Square in the specially designed motor vehicle for the first time. Approximately 1,00,000 people had gathered at the start of the Mass, according to authorities.

During his tour on the popemobile, Pope Leo was seen to stop briefly and kiss a child, CNN reported.

Chants of "Viva il Papa" were repeated several times, and there were shouts of joy and loud applause as the pontiff entered St. Peter's Square for the start of the Mass.

Among those in attendance at Sunday's two-hour long liturgy included US Vice-President JD Vance, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who were seen shaking hands with one another before the start of the service. Leo is due to meet Zelenskyy later on Sunday, as per CNN.

Also present was the President of Peru, Dina Boluarte, the leader of the country where Pope Leo served as both a missionary and a bishop for several decades.

Countries from across the globe were represented, with the Vatican hosting delegates from more than 150 nations, as per CNN.

Delivering his homily - a key moment in the service for the new pope to signal his priorities - Leo said there was no room in the Catholic Church for "religious propaganda" or power plays, and instead called for unity, a possible reference to divisions among reformists and conservatives that grew more stark under predecessor Pope Francis.

Leo also condemned an economic system that exploits "the Earth's resources and marginalises the poorest."

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