Pope Leo XIV is calling for peace in Gaza and Ukranian
Pope Leo XIV Calls for Peace in Ukraine and Gaza, Saying ‘Never Again War’ (Victorican City)
VATICAN CITY — In the first Sunday noon blessing as Pontiff, Pope Leo XIV called for peace to prevail in Ukraine and an immediate cease fire in Gaza with the release of hostages.
It was the first time that Leo had returned to the loggia since he first appeared to the world on Thursday evening following his remarkable election as pope, the first from the United States. Then again, he sent a message of peace.
The papal tradition of offering a blessing at noon was picked up by the man. Although his predecessors delivered the greeting from the studio window of the basilica, Leo went to the center of the square and the heart of the basilica.
He wore the simple white cassock of the papacy — not the formal red cape he wore on Thursday night — and had reverted back to wearing his silver pectoral cross. His Augustinian religious order gave him the relics of St. Monica and his mother, as well as a larger-than-life one, on Thursday night.
Leo, the first pope of Augustinian society, celebrated a mass at St. Peter’s Basilica on Sunday, April 24
He said that he carries the sufferings of the Ukrainian people in his heart. “Let everything possible be done to achieve genuine, just and lasting peace as soon as possible.”
He called for the release of war prisoners and the return of Ukrainian children to their families, and welcomed the ceasefire between India and Pakistan.
He also called for the release of all hostages in Gaza and for humanitarian aid to be provided to the population.
The crowd, filled with marching bands in town for a special Jubilee weekend, erupted in cheers and music as the bells of St. Peter’s Basilica tolled. Tens of thousands of people were in the square.
Alejandro Moralanov, the head of the Augustinian order,celebrated a privateMass near the tomb of St. Peter on Sunday. The tomb of the first pope is underneath the grottoes where the Mass took place.
Just before blessing those gathered at Paul VI Audience Hall, and shaking the hands of seasoned Vatican journalists, Leo concluded by saying, “I ask you to choose consciously and courageously the path of communication in favor of peace.”
“The Church recognizes these witnesses — I am thinking of those who report on war even at the cost of their lives — the courage of those who defend dignity, justice and the right of people to be informed, because only informed individuals can make free choices.”
The media face challenges in a changing world, including artificial intelligence. He said that “responsibility and discernment” are required to ensure that technology can be used for the good of all, and he emphasized the importance of this moment in history.
“We are living in times that are both difficult to navigate and to recount. It is something that we should not flee from, even if it is a challenge for all of us. On the contrary, they demand that each one of us, in our different roles and services, never give in to mediocrity.”