Pope Leo XIV celebrates first mass

[Anchor]

The newly elected Pope Leo XIV has celebrated his first Mass at the Vatican.

As the first American pope, he began in English and continued his sermon in Italian.

Here is the first message the pope delivered to the world, reported by Lee Hwa-jin.

[Report]

After kissing the golden Bible, the newly appointed Pope Leo XIV celebrated his first Mass in the Sistine Chapel.

He started his sermon in his native English.

[Pope Leo XIV: "I will sing a new song to the Lord because He has done marvels."]

Then, in fluent Italian, the pope's first message was that the church must illuminate the dark nights of the world.

He also made it clear that he would stand with the ordinary people, not the rich and powerful.

[Pope Leo XIV: "(God has made the church) an ark of salvation sailing through the waves of history and a beacon that illumines the nights of this world."]

After the two-day conclave, Korean Cardinal Yoo Heung-sik met with reporters and stated that the Pope's background of missionary work in poor and challenging neighborhoods was particularly recognized.

[Cardinal Yoo Heung-sik: "Receiving such a large number of votes from the cardinals is due to the fact that he has been a missionary for a long time, not just in big, prosperous countries, but in very small impoverished areas."]

The Catholic community hopes that the new pope will continue the legacy of former Pope Francis, who emphasized peace.

[Stanley/Nigerian Priest: "I think from the voice of the new Pope, it's a new hope, it's a new era
and the continuation of what the former Pope Francis continued. As we had him, he gave us that message of hope."]

Pope Leo XIV's inauguration Mass will be held on the 18th in St. Peter's Square, and on the 21st, the general public will also have the opportunity to meet the new pope directly.

This is Lee Hwa-jin reporting from the Vatican for KBS News.