Pope Leo XIV called for “no more war” in his message to the world’s powers in his first Sunday speech at the Vatican.
Reflecting the current conflict, the newly elected pope called for a “lasting peace” in the Ukrainian war, a ceasefire in Gaza and welcomed a deal on Saturday to end the recent hostilities between India and Pakistan.
He said he was “deeply hurtful” by the incident in Gaza, expressed hope for the “lasting agreement” between India and Pakistan, and hoped for a “real, real and lasting peace” in Ukraine.
The Pope also recited the prayers of Regina Caeli in honor of the crowds at St Peter's Square in Mary.
Pope Leo was elected as the new leader of the Catholic Church on Thursday after the death of his former Pope Francis and held a two-day meeting in the Vatican City.
On Saturday, he visited a shrine outside Rome and then prayed at the tomb of Francis in the cathedral of Santa Maria Maggiore.
Pope Leo will be officially unveiled next week on May 18 at a mass in St. Peter's Square.
Three years ago, as Bishop Robert Prevost, he condemned Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine as an imperialist war and condemned the crimes he said were committing against humanity.
On Sunday, he was limited to responding to his predecessor Francis’s call for peace.
He said to the crowd on the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica: “I also want to speak to the powerful people in the world, repeating the current appeal: 'No more war'.”
“The great tragedy of World War II ended 80 years ago… Now we are facing the tragedy of World War III.”
The Pope continued: “My heart is filled with the pain of the beloved Ukrainian people.
“All possible measures to be taken for a real, authentic and lasting peace as quickly as possible. All prisoners can be released. May the children return to their families.
“What happened in the Gaza Strip is deeply hurtful.
“Please let the ceasefire take effect immediately. Humanitarian aid may be allowed to enter civilians and all hostages may be released.”
He added: “On the other hand, I'm happy to hear a ceasefire between India and Pakistan and I hope that with the upcoming negotiations we may soon achieve a lasting agreement.”
His comments came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin developed a competition plan to achieve the peace process that would end the three-year invasion in Ukraine.
In the Middle East, Israel cut off all humanitarian aid into Gaza and resumed its military offensive in the Palestinian territory after a two-month ceasefire and hostage exchange agreement collapsed.
Meanwhile, India and Pakistan agreed to Saturday's tentative ceasefire after attacking Indian-managed Kashmir tourists on April 22.
It was a busy week for the Pope, who served as the pope at Sistine Church on Friday and then spoke with the Cardinal on Saturday.
Pope Leo prays in front of a simple white marble tomb of his ex on Saturday [Reuters]
At this meeting, he described himself as an unworthy choice for the pope and vowed to continue his predecessor's “valuable legacy.”
He stressed the importance of missionary work and discussions – and caring for those he calls “the least and rejected.”
He explained that he chose the name Leo after the 19th century pope was famous for teaching social justice.
The new pope also proposed the development of artificial intelligence, and other advances mean that the church is necessary today to defend human dignity and justice.
Next Sunday, he will be engaging in the media before taking office on Monday.
As part of that mass, he will send a sympathy in front of many countries and guests of VIP.
The 69-year-old is the 267th occupant of St. Peter's throne and the first American to become the Pope. He will lead the Catholic Church’s 1.4 billion people worldwide.
He was born in Chicago-based Robert Francis Prevost, where he served as a missionary in Peru for many years before being appointed Archbishop. He also has Peruvian nationality.
Although Leo was born in the United States, the Vatican described him as the second pope in the Americas. Pope Francis from Argentina was the first.
Pope Leo is widely seen as moderate, and his predecessor died last month can provide “continuity” and “unity”.
The new pope is believed to have a view of Francis about immigration, the poor and the environment.
In his first speech, he told the crowd that he wanted to “seek together the United Church of Peace and Justice together.”
