Over 5K cops deployed for Pope Leo’s inauguration on May 18

Habemus Papam – Pope Leo XIV. (Photo: Catholic Church England and Wales/ Flickr, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

By ANSA, Philippine News Agency

ROME – More than 5,000 police officers will be deployed across Rome for the inauguration of Pope Leo XIV on May 18, matching the security presence during the funeral of Pope Francis, Rome Prefect Lamberto Giannini announced Friday.

“For the enthronement ceremony of the Pontiff we expect a large presence of faithful, we will repeat the security measures of the funeral of Pope Francis”, said Giannini, at the end of the first Provincial Committee for order and security after the election of Pope Leo XIV.

“There will be over 5,000 members of the police force involved – he added – which will see a suitable number of specialized personnel for escorts and public order, snipers, divers, air cover from the Air Force and anti-drone activities.”

Giannini added that attendance is projected to reach around 250,000 — similar to the crowd that gathered in St. Peter’s Square for Pope Francis’ funeral.

“The preparations are already underway. It’s a work in progress,” he said.