World Leaders Meet Pope Francis I In Rome

As Pope Francis settles into leading 1.2 billion Catholics, he begins his meetings with Presidents, Ambassadors and leaders alike.

He first met with President Cristina Kirchner of Argentina on Monday. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy and his French counterpart Jean-Marc Ayrault are among the European leaders set to gather in Rome, along with EU President Herman Van Rompuy and European Commission head Jose Manuel Barroso.

US Vice President Joe Biden arrived late Sunday to represent Washington. The Inauguration Mass will be held Tuesday. Between 8:45 and 8:50am the Pope will move through and greet the crowd in the various sections of the piazza—either in the Jeep or the Popemobile. He will return to the Sacristy, via the Pietà side, around 9:15am. Mass is planned to begin at 9:30am.