Archbishop Udumala Bala receives Pallium from pope Leo XIV at Vatican ceremony

VISAKHAPATNAM: In a solemn liturgical ceremony at St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV conferred the Pallium on Archbishop Udumala Bala of Visakhapatnam, symbolising his authority and unity with the Holy See as the Metropolitan Archbishop.The Holy Eucharist marking the conferral took place on Sunday, 29 June, at 9.30 am (Rome time), coinciding with the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul — a traditional occasion for bestowing the Pallium on newly appointed metropolitan archbishops.Archbishop Bala shared a message following the ceremony, stating: “The Holy Eucharist of the Conferral of the Pallium on me by Pope Leo XIV took place at St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican. I offered prayers as I received this symbol of communion with the Holy Father and my pastoral mission as Metropolitan Archbishop of Visakhapatnam.”The Pallium — a narrow band of white wool with six embroidered crosses — is worn over the shoulders. It signifies both the archbishop’s role as a shepherd within his province and his connection with the papacy. It is traditionally conferred only by the pope.Archbishop Bala, who assumed his role earlier this year, leads the ecclesiastical province of Visakhapatnam, which includes several suffragan dioceses across Andhra Pradesh.The ceremony was attended by other metropolitan archbishops from across the world, with Pope Leo XIV presiding over the liturgy. The conferral of the Pallium serves as both a symbol of pastoral responsibility and a visible expression of the archbishop’s fidelity to the mission of the universal Church.