Pope's inauguration to draw huge crowds - and reveal clues about the papacy to come

Around quarter of a million people are expected to pack into St Peter's Square in Vatican City on Sunday to watch the inauguration of Pope Leo XIV.

The event marks the start of the Pope's term. During the ceremony, the new pontiff is given the pallium and the fisherman's ring as symbols of his new authority.

However, every pope is free to slightly tweak the ceremony to make it more personal. Vatican watchers say these small details can give us clues about the man chosen to lead 1.4 billion Catholics.

For example, Pope Francis used an open-top jeep during his procession in 2013. Here he made a conscious choice to abandon the bulletproof casing often favoured by his predecessor and get closer to the crowd.

His decision to stop the car so he could get down to greet babies and the sick was a glimpse of the characteristics which led many to later label him "the pope of the people". "That's not [Leo's] personality," says Father Francesco Giordano, a professor of theology at the Catholic University of America in Rome.

"Francis was more out there, Leo is more shy and reserved." Father Giordano describes the new pontiff as "warm, attentive and a good listener". He sees him as a blend of the previous popes, with charisma and emotional expressiveness like John Paul II, intellectual depth like Benedict XVI, and a focus on social issues like Francis.

Some of Pope Leo's decisions in the last week seem to reinforce this idea. When he was elected, he echoed Benedict in wearing the traditional red mozzetta - a short elbow-length cape - and moving into the Apostolic Palace, but he followed Francis in wearing his own black shoes rather than the traditional red slippers.

In doing the former, he returned to some of the traditions Francis broke with. During his first speech on the balcony, Pope Leo talked about building bridges and Father Giordano believes he's the perfect candidate to unite the church, as some conservatives who felt alienated by Francis will be reassured by the return to some of the traditional customs.

Sunday's inauguration mass is also significant as the pope will give a homily - offering further clues as to the type of man he is. This is the moment where Leo will outline his concerns for the future and how he will shape the role going forwards, according to Vatican journalist Marco Griego.

"This will be the first manifesto of the papacy where we will see the lines he will draw in the future; the themes - both religious and social," he explains. Global conflict is one of the issues which may be touched upon.

In multiple statements since his election, Leo has raised concerns about the various wars being fought around the world. In fact, "peace" was the first word he spoke to the public when he greeted them from the balcony of St Peter's Basilica after being elected last Thursday.

War has also been a hot topic in his social media posts. "War is never inevitable," he told his 18.6 million followers on X on Wednesday.

"Weapons can and must fall silent, for they never solve problems but only intensify them. "Those who sow peace will endure throughout history, not those who reap victims.

Others are not enemies to hate but human beings with whom to speak." On the same day he offered "to help enemies meet.