Over 200,000 attendees from around the world filled St. Peter’s Square about two-thirds of the way full on Sunday morning as Pope Leo XIV prepared to preside at the Mass of his inauguration and the beginning of his papacy. The attendees were not only devout Catholics, but also religious delegations from faiths such as Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh, Zoroastrian, and Jainist, according to Vatican News.

Some notable U.S. leaders and other political leaders included Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, according to NBC News. There were also leaders from Canada, Italy, Germany, and other European Union officials who were present, according to Daily Beast.

After the Mass, the Pope met with Zelenskyy and Peruvian President Dina Ercilia Boluarte Zegarra, but wasn’t especially eager to include Vance in the mix. His reasoning, according to Daily Beast, which came out during his sermon, was because of how the Trump administration has been conducting mass exportation of illegal immigrants, the way Zelenskyy has been treated during attempts to broker peace between Ukraine and Russia, and the Trump administration’s attempts to annex Greenland. As the Pope is already stepping into his expected role of being an influencer of global affairs, peace broker, mediator, and advocate, the prayers of people of faith worldwide are highly important. Here are a few thoughts on ways to come alongside the new Pope through prayer.

Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/ALBERTO PIZZOLI/Contributor