Thousands of faithful gathered at St Peter’s Square on Sunday as Pope Leo XIV delivered his first Easter Mass message as pontiff.
Standing on the central balcony of St Peter’s Basilica, adorned with white roses, the pope urged global leaders “with the power to unleash wars” to embrace peace.
“On this day of celebration, let us abandon every desire for conflict, domination and power, and implore the Lord to grant his peace to a world ravaged by wars,” he said.
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The first U.S.-born pope has emerged as a strong critic of the Iran war, consistently using his public addresses to denounce global conflicts and call for de-escalation.
Pope Leo waved to the crowd gathered in the square below before delivering his “Urbi et Orbi” blessing – Latin for “to the city and the world”.
St Peter’s Square was decorated with bright spring blooms, with rows of daffodils and thousands of purple, red and white flowers arranged for the Easter Mass.
“We are growing accustomed to violence, resigning ourselves to it, and becoming indifferent, indifferent to the deaths of thousands of people,” the pope said in his address.
“Let those who have weapons lay them down. Let those who have the power to unleash wars choose peace.”
In a break with recent tradition, Leo did not explicitly name any country or conflict in his message.
He also honoured his predecessor, Pope Francis, who delivered his final Easter Sunday address just hours before his death.
Reflecting on the Easter story of Christ’s resurrection three days after his crucifixion, he noted that Jesus remained “entirely nonviolent” in the face of suffering.
For Christians, Easter is the most significant event in the liturgical calendar, commemorating the resurrection of Christ, a core belief of the faith.
BBC
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