Pope Leo XIV has used his first Sunday blessing at the Vatican to address conflicts around the world, calling for an end to war in Gaza and Ukraine.
What It Matters
Pope Leo XIV’s inaugural Sunday blessing marks a significant return of public papal engagement after months of health-related absences by his predecessor, Francis.
Leo’s decision to spotlight the wars in Gaza and Ukraine in his first major address underscores the Vatican’s intent to maintain moral and diplomatic relevance in ongoing global conflicts.
What To Know
Leo addressed an estimated 100,000 people, according to The Associated Press, from the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica on Sunday, in his first appearance since he was seen on Thursday evening, after his election as pope.
On Gaza, the pontiff said: “Let the fighting cease immediately, let humanitarian aid be provided to the exhausted civilian population, and may all hostages be released”.
On Ukraine he said: “I carry in my heart the sufferings of the beloved Ukrainian people. Let everything possible be done to achieve genuine, just and lasting peace as soon as possible.”
He also welcomed the recent announcement of a ceasefire between India and Pakistan.
Leo said: “In today’s dramatic context of a third world war fought piecemeal … I too appeal to the powerful of the world by repeating these ever-relevant words: never again war!”
Father Ihor Yatsiv, a spokesperson for the Greek Catholic Church in Ukraine described Leo as “a pope who paid attention to the socially vulnerable, a pope who stood on the side of the oppressed, a pope who stood for justice and, accordingly, spoke out against the powerful of this world.”
“We identify Pope Leo XIV as a pope of hope for Ukraine,” Yatsiv told the Kyiv Independent.
What People Are Saying
After Leo’s election, US President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social: “It is such an honor to realize that he is the first American Pope. What excitement, and what a Great Honor for our Country. I look forward to meeting Pope Leo XIV. It will be a very meaningful moment!”
Vice President JD Vance wrote on X: “I’m sure millions of American Catholics and other Christians will pray for his successful work leading the Church. May God bless him!”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement: “This is a moment of profound significance for the Catholic Church, offering renewed hope and continuity amid the 2025 Jubilee Year to over a billion faithful worldwide. The papacy carries a sacred and solemn responsibility.”
What Happens Next
A formal installation mass will be held next Sunday, which will mark the official beginning of a new pope’s ministry as Bishop of Rome and Supreme Pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church.
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