In his first Sunday appearance after being elected as the 267th pope, Pope Leo XIV called on the world’s great powers to eschew war, declaring, ‘Never again war!’ The newly elected pontiff, Robert Francis Prevost by birth and the first American pope, addressed the world from the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica, where he also sent warm Mother’s Day greetings ‘to all mothers including those in heaven’.
Commenting on the ongoing world wars, Pope Leo welcomed India-Pakistan ceasefire, hoping diplomatic talks would open the doors to enduring peace. “May God give the world the miracle of peace,” he prayed, Reuters reported.
Watch Pope Leo’s First Address:
Leo’s message followed a day after India and Pakistan declared an ‘understanding’ to suspend all military operations: land, air, and sea, after days of heightened hostility. But the ceasefire was violated shortly after the declaration by U.S. President Donald Trump, as Pakistani drones were intercepted in Jammu, Srinagar, Punjab, and Rajasthan.
Tensions between the two countries escalated after New Delhi conducted Operation Sindoor, aimed at nine terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, on May 7. The operation was conducted in response to the April 22 terror strike on Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, in which 26 civilians were killed by militants with suspected Pakistani connections.
Besides the India-Pakistan ceasefire, Pope Leo also appealed for peace in Ukraine and a Gaza truce, calling for the release of hostages. Citing Pope Francis’s previous concerns, he characterized today’s global unrest as a ‘third world war in pieces’.
His words were spoken during a special Jubilee weekend celebration, with St. Peter’s Square crowds breaking into applause and music, joined by the ringing of the basilica’s bells.
