[INDEPENDENT.IE] Pope Francis has been formally installed as Bishop of Rome in a ceremony characterised by more simplicity than the usual rituals and pomp enjoyed by papal predecessors taking up their pastoral duties. In yet another sign that Francis sees his mission as pontiff as one of humble service, he used his arrival at St John in Lateran Basilica to honour a past pope who remains wildly popular in Rome.
Francis arrived 30 minutes early to bless a plaque renaming a corner of the piazza outside the church after Pope John Paul II, who died in 2005.
Francis applauded, then gave his blessing after Rome's mayor unveiled the simple white stone plaque marking Giovanni Paolo II Square in a section of the vast piazza, which often hosts free rock concerts and political and union rallies.
The pope, who has stressed the importance of simplicity, arrived for the unveiling wearing a plain white cassock, a more modest wardrobe choice than that of the Italian cardinal who welcomed him wearing a red cape.