Vatican City, May 13 – Newly elected Pope Leo XIV on Sunday delivered a passionate plea for global peace in his first Sunday address, urging an end to conflict in Ukraine, Gaza, and other flashpoints around the world, echoing his predecessor’s warnings of a fragmented world war.
Speaking to tens of thousands gathered in St. Peter’s Square, the U.S.-born pontiff, formerly Cardinal Robert Prevost, called for an “authentic and lasting peace,” in a speech that touched on major global crises and emphasized dialogue and humanitarian response.
“I carry in my heart the suffering of the beloved people of Ukraine,” Pope Leo said, hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed direct peace talks with Kyiv to end the three-year-old conflict. “No more war,” he added, repeating a signature appeal of the late Pope Francis.
The 68-year-old pontiff, elected on May 8, also demanded an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas, and the provision of humanitarian aid to civilians. “I am profoundly saddened by the war in Gaza,” he said.
The Pope welcomed a newly brokered ceasefire between India and Pakistan, calling it a hopeful sign and praying that it would lead to a lasting peace between the nuclear-armed neighbors.
“There are so many other conflicts in the world,” he said, invoking the specter of a “Third World War being fought piecemeal,” a phrase coined by Francis to describe the growing number of overlapping global crises.
The former missionary in Peru, who was relatively unknown on the international stage before becoming a cardinal and then assuming a senior Vatican role two years ago, addressed the crowd in fluent Italian. Leo became a Peruvian citizen in 2015 but has yet to reference his U.S. birthplace in public remarks since assuming the papacy, a silence that has drawn criticism from some conservative commentators in the United States.
The Sunday event coincided with a pre-planned pilgrimage by international marching bands, who entertained the crowd with renditions of songs including Y.M.C.A., the Rocky theme, and classics by John Philip Sousa.
Rome resident Gladys Ruiz, originally from Peru, called Leo’s election “a great honour for us.” American tourists Dennis and Maureen Gilligan, visiting from Boston for their anniversary, said the moment was deeply emotional. “I regretted all my life not seeing Pope John Paul II when he came to Boston,” said Dennis. “This was very moving.”
Italian authorities estimated the crowd at more than 100,000, as pilgrims from Latin America, Europe, and the U.S. gathered under sunny skies for the pope’s first public blessing.
Pope Leo’s early focus on peacemaking suggests a continuation of Francis’ global engagement but under a new voice, shaped by his missionary background and commitment to diplomacy and humanitarian concerns.
