Leo XIV to meet mayor before being installed as bishop of Rome.Pope Leo XIV is to formally take possession of the Basilica of San Giovanni in Laterano or St John Lateran, the official seat of the bishop of Rome, on Sunday 25 May.The centuries-old ceremony marks the Chicago-born pope’s installation as bishop of Rome, following his election as successor to Pope Francis and recent inauguration Mass at the Vatican. On his way to the papal archbasilica, which recently celebrated its 1,700th anniversary, Pope Leo XIV will be greeted by Rome's mayor Roberto Gualtieri on behalf of the city. The greeting is scheduled to take place in Piazza dell'Ara Coeli at the foot of the Campidoglio steps, at 16.15, resulting in traffic restrictions in the area. After the Mass in St John Lateran, scheduled at 17.00, the new pope will appear on the central balcony of the basilica's loggia to greet the faithful and bless the city. At 19.00 Leo XIV will visit the nearby Basilica of St Mary Major, where Pope Francis is buried, to venerate the Marian icon Salus Populi Romani (Our Lady of Health of the Roman People). This will result in traffic restrictions in the areas around both basilicas.  A brief history of the Basilica of St John Lateran Consecrated by Pope Sylvester in 324 AD, the church is the oldest of the four main basilicas of the Eternal City, serving as the cathedral of the Diocese of Rome and the official ecclesiastical seat of the pope. The basilica and its adjoining buildings enjoy extraterritorial status from Italy, under the 1929 Lateran Treaty which established the Vatican City as a sovereign state and regulates relations between Italy and the Catholic Church. Basilica of St John Lateran. Photo Wanted in Rome. The basilica is located on what was once the palace of the Laterani family whose members served as administrators to several Roman emperors. Around 311 it came into the hands of Emperor Constantine I who later gave it to the bishop of Rome. Over the centuries the basilica was altered by a succession of celebrated architects including Domenico Fontana, Giacomo della Porta, Francesco Borromini and Alessandro Galilei. Photo credit: Alessia Pierdomenico / Shutterstock.com.

Pope Leo XIV is to formally take possession of the Basilica of San Giovanni in Laterano or St John Lateran, the official seat of the bishop of Rome, on Sunday 25 May. The centuries-old ceremony marks the Chicago-born pope’s installation as bishop of Rome, following his as successor to Pope Francis and recent at the Vatican. On his way to the papal archbasilica, which recently celebrated its , Pope Leo XIV will be greeted by Rome's mayor Roberto Gualtieri on behalf of the city. The is scheduled to take place in Piazza dell'Ara Coeli at the foot of the Campidoglio steps, at 16.15, resulting in  in the area. After the Mass in St John Lateran, scheduled at 17.00, the new pope will appear on the central balcony of the basilica's loggia to greet the faithful and bless the city. At 19.00 Leo XIV will visit the nearby Basilica of St Mary Major, where , to venerate the Marian icon Salus Populi Romani (Our Lady of Health of the Roman People). This will result in in the areas around both basilicas.  A brief history of the Basilica of St John Lateran Consecrated by Pope Sylvester in 324 AD, the church is the oldest of the four main basilicas of the Eternal City, serving as the cathedral of the Diocese of Rome and the official ecclesiastical seat of the pope. The basilica and its adjoining buildings enjoy extraterritorial status from Italy, under the 1929 Lateran Treaty which established the Vatican City as a sovereign state and regulates relations between Italy and the Catholic Church.
Basilica of St John Lateran. Photo Wanted in Rome. The basilica is located on what was once the palace of the Laterani family whose members served as administrators to several Roman emperors. Around 311 it came into the hands of Emperor Constantine I who later gave it to the bishop of Rome. Over the centuries the basilica was altered by a succession of celebrated architects including Domenico Fontana, Giacomo della Porta,and Alessandro Galilei. Photo credit: Alessia Pierdomenico / Shutterstock.com.