emirates7 - Pope Leo XIV will officially assume his position as head of the global Catholic Church this Sunday with a Mass in St. Peter’s Square, which is expected to draw tens of thousands of attendees, including numerous world leaders and members of European royalty, according to Reuters.

Large crowds are anticipated to fill the Square and nearby streets in Rome for the event, which begins at 10:00 a.m. local time (0800 GMT). The ceremony will also mark the pope’s first appearance in the iconic white popemobile. Leo XIV is notably the first pope from the United States.

Originally from Chicago, the 69-year-old pontiff spent many years serving as a missionary in Peru and holds dual citizenship, making him the first pope with ties to both the U.S. and a South American country.

The U.S. delegation will be led by Vice President JD Vance. Other high-profile attendees include Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and several European royals.

The Mass will include prayers in a variety of languages—Latin, Italian, Greek, Portuguese, French, Arabic, Polish, and Chinese—reflecting the international scope of the 1.4 billion-strong Catholic Church.