Pope Leo issues emotional three-word plea to ‘world’s great powers’ over Gaza and Ukraine
Pope Leo XIV called for peace in Ukraine and an immediate ceasefire in Gaza in his first Sunday noon blessing as pontiff as he described the conflicts as a 'third world war in pieces'
In his first Sunday noon blessing as Pope, Leo XIV called for a genuine and just peace in Ukraine and an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
“I too address the world’s great powers by repeating the ever-present call ‘never again war,’” the new pontiff said while addressing an estimated crowd of 100,000 people from the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica. This marked his return to the loggia since his historic election as the first American Pope, where he also delivered a message of peace.
Leo XIV revived the papal tradition of offering a Sunday blessing at noon but added several twists. Unlike his predecessors who delivered the greeting from the Apostolic Palace's studio window, Leo chose the very center of the square and the heart of the church. It comes after Trump was labeled 'so dumb' over an awkward mix-up.
Adding a novelty, he sang the Regina Caeli prayer, a Latin prayer usually recited during the Easter season by recent popes. Traditionalists and conservatives, many of whom felt alienated by Pope Francis' reforms and loose liturgical style, have been looking for gestures hinting at Leo's priorities.
Some have expressed cautious optimism at the very least with a return to a traditional style that Leo exhibited on Thursday night, when he wore the formal red cape of the papacy that Francis had eschewed. Two of Europe's most prominent conservative figures, Marine Le Pen and Matteo Salvini, were present at the square on Sunday for Leo's first noon prayer.
The Italian minister has often incorporated his Catholic faith into his political narrative. On Sunday, Leo donned the simple white cassock associated with the papacy and returned to wearing his silver pectoral cross. He had previously worn a more ornate one containing relics of St. Augustine and his mother, St. Monica, which was gifted to him by his Augustinian religious order.
Leo echoed Pope Francis in condemning the numerous conflicts currently plaguing the world, describing it as a "third world war in pieces."
"I carry in my heart the sufferings of the beloved Ukrainian people," he expressed. "Let everything possible be done to achieve genuine, just and lasting peace as soon as possible."
He advocated for the release of war prisoners and the return of Ukrainian children to their families, while also welcoming the ceasefire between India and Pakistan. He further called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, urging for humanitarian aid to be provided to the "exhausted civilian population and all hostages be freed."
In recognition of Mother's Day being celebrated in many countries, Leo extended his wishes to all mothers, "including those in heaven". The crowd, filled with marching bands in town for a special Jubilee weekend, burst into cheers and music as the bells of St. Peter's Basilica rang out.
Leo, previously known as Robert Prevost, dedicated much of his religious life working as a missionary and then bishop in Peru, a chapter he reminisced about while offering a Spanish salutation to his past diocese of Chiclayo on Thursday evening.
Earlier on Sunday, Leo held a private Mass near the tomb of St. Peter and paid his respects at the tombs of several past popes. Vatican Media captured him in prayer before a mix of more progressive and tradition-minded popes: Pope Paul VI, who concluded the modernizing reforms of the 1960s Second Vatican Council, and Popes Pius XII and Benedict XVI, known for their conservative views.
He celebrated the Mass alongside the head of his Augustinian order, the Rev. Alejandro Moral Anton, with Leo's brother among those in the pews. The Mass took place in the grottoes beneath St. Peter's, the traditional resting place of St. Peter, the apostle regarded as the first pope.
On Saturday, Leo prayed at the tomb of Francis, located across town at the St. Mary Major Basilica. The 69-year-old missionary from Chicago was elected as the 267th pope on Thursday following the death of Francis on April 21.
He has a busy week of audiences ahead of his formal installation Mass next Sunday.