Pope Leo XIV Urges Peace in Easter Mass Address

Pope Leo XIV, the first American-born pontiff, delivered a powerful call for global peace during his inaugural Easter Mass on Sunday in Vatican City, urging leaders entangled in conflicts to abandon weapons and pursue dialogue amid ongoing wars in the Middle East and beyond. Speaking to tens of thousands gathered in a flower-decked St. Peter's Square under sunny skies, the pope invoked the resurrection of Jesus Christ as a nonviolent victory over hatred and indifference, directly addressing the devastation wrought by military actions.

"Let those who have weapons lay them down," Leo said in his traditional Urbi et Orbi blessing from the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica. "Let those who have the power to unleash wars choose peace. Not a peace imposed by force, but through dialogue. Not with the desire to dominate others, but to encounter them." The pontiff, who succeeded Pope Francis last year, lamented humanity's growing acclimation to violence, quoting his predecessor's phrase about the "globalization of indifference" toward the deaths of thousands. He prayed for an end to conflicts ravaging regions including Iran, Gaza, and Ukraine, emphasizing that Easter offers hope amid...