ROME — Pope Francis was installed as the bishop of Rome yesterday — in a much simpler ceremony than the usual ritual and pomp.
But the pontiff arrived at the Basilica of St. John Lateran a half-hour early to bless a plaque renaming a corner of the piazza outside the church after Pope John Paul II, who died in 2005.
Rome Mayor Gianni Alemanno unveiled the simple white-stone plaque marking Giovanni Paul II Square in a section of the piazza often used for free rock concerts and political or labor rallies.
For the two-hour installation ceremony that followed, the pope remained in a plain white cassock, in contrast to the Italian cardinal who welcomed him wearing a red cape.