Pope Leo held his first Sunday mass as pontiff today at St. Peter's Basilica where he decried the ongoing conflicts around the world.
Speaking to a crowd of 100,000 crammed into St. Peter's Square below, Leo - whose name was Robert Prevost prior to his election last Thursday - directed a plea at world leaders to bring an end to the escalating violence of the last three years.
“I, too, address the world's great powers by repeating the ever-present call ‘never again war,’” he said.
Leo referenced the stance of his predecessor Pope Francis in denouncing the wars plaguing many regions around the world today, saying it was a “third world war in pieces.”
“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.”
Perhaps his most pointed message was made in relation to the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza, which has reportedly seen 62,614 lives lost since Israel commenced its bombing campaign on 7 October 2023 after the Nova music festival massacre committed by Hamas.
Leo urged the implementation of an immediate ceasefire in the besieged enclave, and for humanitarian relief to be provided to the “exhausted civilian population and all hostages be freed”.
In addition, he celebrated a private Mass near the tomb of St. Peter and prayed at the tombs of several past popes in the grottoes underneath the basilica.
He was filmed praying before a mix of more progressive and tradition-minded popes: Pope Paul VI, who closed out the modernizing reforms of the 1960s Second Vatican Council, and Popes Pius XII and Benedict XVI, on the more conservative end of the spectrum.
Conservative members of the Catholic clergy are cautiously watching to see how Leo represents their views during his tenure as head of the Church's 1.4 billion followers following on from Francis' largely liberal approach to certain issues, notable gay marriage.
Leo's election was heralded last Thursday at around 5pm Irish time when white smoke billowed from the famous chimney at the Vatican to celebratory cheers from the tens of thousands gathered in St. Peter's Square.
Leo, the first American pope originally named Robert Prevost, and who hails from Chicago, is 69 years of age.
He was elected by his fellow cardinals in the notoriously tedious voting process which took two attempts to name him the new pontiff.
He took to the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica to address those eagerly awaiting his arrival, where his first words were "Peace be with you!".
He continued: "Dear brothers and sisters, these are the first words spoken by the risen Christ, the Good Shepherd who laid down His life for God’s flock.
"I would like this greeting of peace to resound in your hearts, in your families, among all people, wherever they may be, in every nation and throughout the world. Peace be with you!
"It is the peace of the risen Christ. A peace that is unarmed and disarming, humble and persevering. A peace that comes from God, the God who loves us all, unconditionally."
World leaders took to social media to congratulate the new pontiff on his appointment, with US President Donald Trump stating it was an "honour" to witness the first compatriot become pope, and Volodymyr Zelensky urging him to continue Francis' message of "condemning the Russian Federation’s military aggression against Ukraine, and protecting the rights of innocent civilians”.
