Pope Leo XIV urges peace in Ukraine, Gaza in first Sunday blessing

In his first Sunday noon blessing as pope, Leo XIV appealed for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine and an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, while also making symbolic gestures that appeared to promote unity within a deeply divided Catholic Church. 

“I carry in my heart the sufferings of the beloved Ukrainian people,” he said. “Let everything possible be done to achieve genuine, just and lasting peace as soon as possible,” Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

He urged the release of prisoners of war and the reunification of Ukrainian children with their families, and expressed support for the ceasefire between India and Pakistan.

He further called for an immediate end to hostilities in Gaza and emphasised the need for humanitarian aid to reach the “exhausted civilian population and all hostages be freed.” 

Leo echoed Pope Francis’s condemnation of the widespread conflicts around the world, describing the situation as a “third world war in pieces.”

He also acknowledged Mother’s Day, observed on May 11 in many countries, and extended his best wishes to all mothers, “including those in heaven.”

By Naila Huseynova