Standing before a sea of emotional onlookers, Pope Leo XIV, in his first Sunday appearance since becoming pope, issued a powerful call for peace, urging world leaders to end violence and pursue lasting solutions to global conflicts.
“No more war!” the newly elected pontiff declared from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, echoing the words of his predecessor, Pope Francis.
Addressing tens of thousands gathered in St. Peter’s Basilica, Leo, born Robert Francis Prevost in Chicago, spoke just days after being elected as the first American pope.
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He referenced the recent 80th anniversary of the end of World War II and warned of a “third world war in tatters,” calling for a just peace in Ukraine and a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war.
“Humanitarian aid must be provided to the exhausted civilian population, and all the hostages must be freed,” he said, expressing deep concern for the crisis in Gaza.
Before his public address, the Chicago-born pope paid an unannounced visit to his predecessor Pope Francis’s tomb, paying tribute to the late pontiff’s legacy of simplicity and service.
In his words to cardinals, he described himself as a “humble servant of God” and “an unworthy successor” to St. Peter, however, the Pope assured that his leadership will proceed with his predecessor’s commitment to the low-income people and global unity.
With deep ties to Latin America through years of missionary work in Peru, the new pope is seen as a figure of humility and reconciliation.
