Something very special happened in the Catholic Church! On Sunday, Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle placed a very important ring — called the Ring of the Fisherman — on the finger of Pope Leo XIV during his big celebration in Vatican City.
This event was part of Pope Leo XIV’s official welcome as the new leader of the Catholic Church. He is now the 267th pope, which means he is the 267th person to take this special role after St. Peter, who was the Church’s first leader and also a fisherman. That’s why the ring is called the Ring of the Fisherman — it’s a symbol that the pope is now the new “fisher of people” and leader of the Church.
What Happened During the Ceremony?
A lot of people — about 250,000! — came to see the event at St. Peter’s Square, which is a huge open space in the Vatican. There were also world leaders there, like:
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JD Vance, Vice President of the United States
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Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine
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And many visitors from other countries!
Before the special Mass started, Pope Leo XIV rode around in the “popemobile,” a car with a clear top so people could see him. He waved at the huge crowd and even stopped to bless babies, which made everyone very happy.
Another item placed on the pope was the pallium — a white wool vest made from the wool of lambs. It’s placed on his shoulders and is a sign that he’s now the “shepherd” of the Catholic Church, just like Jesus was called the Good Shepherd.
Pope Leo XIV’s Message
During the Mass, Pope Leo XIV, who is 69 years old, gave a short speech called a homily. In it, he told everyone that the most important thing we can do is to share God’s love with everyone, no matter where they come from.
It was a beautiful and meaningful day for Catholics all over the world — and especially for Filipinos, who felt proud seeing Cardinal Tagle take part in such an important moment.
