Up to 1 million people gather for Pope Francis inaugural mass

Thousands of pilgrims made the journey across Rome on Tuesday hoping to secure a coveted place in St. Peter’s Square to take part in the inaugural mass for Pope Francis.

Up to one million people, including political and religious leaders from around the world, were expected to cram into St. Peter’s Square and surrounding streets for the mass to formally install Francis as the new leader of the world’s 1.2 billion Roman Catholics.

Although there was reserved seating for some, much of the rest of the square was to be filled on a first come, first served basis.

Bishops and archbishops were seated on the left-hand side of the “Sagrato” (porch of the Basilica), along with delegations from other churches and Christian confessions.

On the right-hand side of the “Sagrato” there were delegations from various countries led by heads of state and ministers.

Jews, Muslims, and members of other faiths will take their seats on the St. Peter’s statue side of the piazza, accompanied by around 1,200 priests and seminarians.

The St. Paul’s statue side of the piazza, meanwhile, accommodated the diplomatic corps accredited to the Holy See and other civil authorities. The rest of the piazza was standing-room for all those without tickets.

Pilgrim Hugo Abatidaga, had travelled to the Vatican from Santa Fe in Argentina, said he was hoping to be able to see Pope Francis in person.

“We think it is a new opportunity having a pope from a different continent and which will certainly bring about a very important change in the Catholic church,” he said.

“We know him from back home in Argentina. We know that he is a very simple pope who thinks differently from those before. We hope that he will have a good papacy, guiding the Roman Catholic church.”

Whilst Amalia del Gres said her grandmother came from the same area of Italy that the Pope’s family originally came from, and shared the same surname.

“It will be a most important papacy, because he has this simplicity, something that really touches your heart,” she said.

The new pope’s outgoing nature and sense of humour differs notably from the much more formal Benedict, who last month became the first pope in 600 years to resign.

Francis is seen as having a common touch and the  communication skills that the aloof Benedict lacked, and has given clear signs already that he will bring a new broom to the crisis-hit papacy, favouring humility and simplicity over pomp and grandeur.

“He’s so wonderful. We are really excited, I love everything that he stands for, he just seems like such a wonderful, humble, joyous man,” gushed American pilgrim Karen Rice from St. Louis, Missouri.