Pope Leo XIV offered his inaugural Mass Sunday before a crowd of 200,000 people in St. Peter’s square. Leo, formerly Robert Cardinal Prevost, is the 267th pope and the first American leader of the Roman Catholic Church.

During the homily of his inaugural mass, which many commentators analogize to an inauguration speech, the pope mentioned the geopolitical situations in Ukraine and in Gaza. Leo called for a “just and lasting peace” in Ukraine and commented that the Palestinians in Gaza are being “reduced to starvation.”

Guests at the papal inaugural mass included the American Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, King Felipe and Queen Letizia of Spain, and the pope’s brother, Louis Prevost. Prince Edward, the Duke of Edinburgh, represented the British royal family. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky was also present.