CATHOLICS across Liverpool gathered at the Metropolitan Cathedral to commemorate the inauguration of Pope Francis.
Worshippers attended a special mass led by the Most Reverend Archbishop Emeritus Patrick Kelly yesterday evening.
Pope Francis was officially inaugurated during a ceremony in Rome.
The 76-year-old pontiff, who is famous for his frugal lifestyle, said his role as leader of the Roman Catholic Church and Bishop of Rome must be inspired by the example of the "lowly concrete service" of St Joseph, whose feast day coincided with the inaugural mass.
Before the mass began, Francis received the fisherman’s ring symbolising the papacy and the pallium, a woollen stole symbolic of his papal authority and role as shepherd of the worldwide Catholic faithful.
Pope Francis, the former Archbishop of Buenos Aires, was elected last week as the first pope from Latin America and the first from outside Europe for more than 1,000 years.
The Vatican said he made a surprise early morning call to the Plaza de Mayo in Buenos Aires to address thousands of people who were spending a sleepless night in advance of watching the inaugural mass in the square.
He said: "Dear sons and daughters, I know you have gathered in the square.I know that you are saying prayers, I need them very much. It is beautiful to pray because we look to heaven and know that we have a good Father who is God.
In his homily, the Most Reverend Kelly told his the congregation: "We will not be surprised that the word of God proclaimed on this St Joseph’s day, will fully shape, deepen and make authentic our prayer as we go forward with Francis our Pope."
