Pope Leo XIV laments people valuing ‘technology, money and success’ over Christianity in first mass as pontiff – live

<p>Pope held mass for cardinals in the Sistine Chapel on Friday morning</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/may/08/robert-francis-prevost-the-moderate-good-humoured-first-american-pope">Profile: the moderate, good humoured first US pope</a></li><li><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/may/06/the-papal-in-tray-new-pontiff-will-have-to-hit-the-ground-running-on-so-many-urgent-issues">Pope Leo’s in-tray: the many urgent issues to address</a></li><li><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/may/08/share-new-pope-leo-xiv-american">Share your views on Pope Leo XIV</a></li></ul><p><strong>China</strong> has sent congratulations to newly elected <strong>Pope Leo XIV</strong> and hopes the Vatican under the new pontiff will continue dialogue with China “in a constructive spirit”, Reuters reports a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on Friday at a regular press conference.</p><p>Leo’s predecessor, Pope Francis, strained relations between the Vatican and China in 2020 when <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/nov/24/pope-says-for-first-time-that-chinas-uighurs-are-persecuted">he described China’s Muslim Uyghurs as a “persecuted” people</a>, listing them alongside the Rohingya, the Yazidi, and persecuted Christians in Islamic countries.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2025/may/09/pope-leo-xiv-to-hold-first-mass-pontiff-catholics-celebrate-live">Continue reading...</a>