Pope Leo urges 'no more war' in first Sunday message
Pope Leo XIV has appealed to the world's major powers for "no more war" in his first Sunday message to crowds in St Peter's Square since his election as pontiff.
The new Pope, elected on Thursday, called for an "authentic and lasting peace" in Ukraine and a ceasefire in Gaza and release of all Israeli hostages.
Leo also welcomed the recent ceasefire between India and Pakistan, and said he was praying to God to grant the world the "miracle of peace".
"No more war!" the Pope said, repeating a frequent call of the late Pope Francis and noting the recent 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, which killed some 60 million people.
Leo said today's world was living through "the dramatic scenario of a Third World War being fought piecemeal", again repeating a phrase coined by Francis.
The new Pope said he carried in his heart the "suffering of the beloved people of Ukraine".
He appealed for negotiations to reach an "authentic, just and lasting peace".
He also said he was "profoundly saddened" by the war in Gaza, calling for an immediate ceasefire, humanitarian aid and release of the remaining hostages held by the militant group Hamas.
Leo said he was glad to hear of the recent India-Pakistan ceasefire and hoped negotiations would lead to a lasting accord between the nuclear armed neighbours.
He added: "But there are so many other conflicts in the world."
It comes after the Pope took his first trip outside the Vatican, heading about an hour's drive east of Rome for a visit to a Catholic shrine and stopping on the way back to pay respects at the tomb of his predecessor Francis.
Leo waved from the passenger side of a Volkswagen vehicle as he arrived at Rome's St Mary Major Basilica.
Entering the church to a few shouts of "Viva il papa" (Long live the Pope), Leo walked slowly to Francis' tomb, laying a white flower on it.
He then knelt in prayer for a few moments.
Leo made the trip to St Mary Major after travelling to the small town of Genazzano, where he had earlier visited a shrine dedicated to the Virgin Mary.
Leo, the former US cardinal Robert Prevost, was elected pontiff on Thursday (Friday AEST).
He is a member of the Augustinian religious order, which runs the Shrine of Our Lady of Good Counsel in Genazzano.
Leo shook hands and offered blessings to a few people in the crowd before entering the shrine.
At the end of the visit there, the Pope told those in the shrine that he wanted to come to pray for guidance in the first days of his papacy, according to a Vatican statement.
The late Pope Francis, who died on April 21, made surprise visits to Catholic sites near Rome quite frequently.
He asked to be buried at St Mary Major in a simple tomb, decorated only with an inscription of the word "Franciscus" - his name in Latin.
Francis had a special devotion to the basilica, another Marian shrine.
In the first days after his burial, more than 30,000 people packed the church to visit his final resting place.
Pope Leo signalled earlier on Saturday he would continue with the vision and reforms of Pope Francis, telling cardinals the late pontiff left a "precious legacy" that must be carried on.
Pope Leo XIV has appealed to the world's major powers for "no more war" in his first Sunday message to crowds in St Peter's Square since his election as pontiff.
The new Pope, elected on Thursday, called for an "authentic and lasting peace" in Ukraine and a ceasefire in Gaza and release of all Israeli hostages.
Leo also welcomed the recent ceasefire between India and Pakistan, and said he was praying to God to grant the world the "miracle of peace".
"No more war!" the Pope said, repeating a frequent call of the late Pope Francis and noting the recent 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, which killed some 60 million people.
Leo said today's world was living through "the dramatic scenario of a Third World War being fought piecemeal", again repeating a phrase coined by Francis.
The new Pope said he carried in his heart the "suffering of the beloved people of Ukraine".
He appealed for negotiations to reach an "authentic, just and lasting peace".
He also said he was "profoundly saddened" by the war in Gaza, calling for an immediate ceasefire, humanitarian aid and release of the remaining hostages held by the militant group Hamas.
Leo said he was glad to hear of the recent India-Pakistan ceasefire and hoped negotiations would lead to a lasting accord between the nuclear armed neighbours.
He added: "But there are so many other conflicts in the world."
It comes after the Pope took his first trip outside the Vatican, heading about an hour's drive east of Rome for a visit to a Catholic shrine and stopping on the way back to pay respects at the tomb of his predecessor Francis.
Leo waved from the passenger side of a Volkswagen vehicle as he arrived at Rome's St Mary Major Basilica.
Entering the church to a few shouts of "Viva il papa" (Long live the Pope), Leo walked slowly to Francis' tomb, laying a white flower on it.
He then knelt in prayer for a few moments.
Leo made the trip to St Mary Major after travelling to the small town of Genazzano, where he had earlier visited a shrine dedicated to the Virgin Mary.
Leo, the former US cardinal Robert Prevost, was elected pontiff on Thursday (Friday AEST).
He is a member of the Augustinian religious order, which runs the Shrine of Our Lady of Good Counsel in Genazzano.
Leo shook hands and offered blessings to a few people in the crowd before entering the shrine.
At the end of the visit there, the Pope told those in the shrine that he wanted to come to pray for guidance in the first days of his papacy, according to a Vatican statement.
The late Pope Francis, who died on April 21, made surprise visits to Catholic sites near Rome quite frequently.
He asked to be buried at St Mary Major in a simple tomb, decorated only with an inscription of the word "Franciscus" - his name in Latin.
Francis had a special devotion to the basilica, another Marian shrine.
In the first days after his burial, more than 30,000 people packed the church to visit his final resting place.
Pope Leo signalled earlier on Saturday he would continue with the vision and reforms of Pope Francis, telling cardinals the late pontiff left a "precious legacy" that must be carried on.
Pope Leo XIV has appealed to the world's major powers for "no more war" in his first Sunday message to crowds in St Peter's Square since his election as pontiff.
The new Pope, elected on Thursday, called for an "authentic and lasting peace" in Ukraine and a ceasefire in Gaza and release of all Israeli hostages.
Leo also welcomed the recent ceasefire between India and Pakistan, and said he was praying to God to grant the world the "miracle of peace".
"No more war!" the Pope said, repeating a frequent call of the late Pope Francis and noting the recent 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, which killed some 60 million people.
Leo said today's world was living through "the dramatic scenario of a Third World War being fought piecemeal", again repeating a phrase coined by Francis.
The new Pope said he carried in his heart the "suffering of the beloved people of Ukraine".
He appealed for negotiations to reach an "authentic, just and lasting peace".
He also said he was "profoundly saddened" by the war in Gaza, calling for an immediate ceasefire, humanitarian aid and release of the remaining hostages held by the militant group Hamas.
Leo said he was glad to hear of the recent India-Pakistan ceasefire and hoped negotiations would lead to a lasting accord between the nuclear armed neighbours.
He added: "But there are so many other conflicts in the world."
It comes after the Pope took his first trip outside the Vatican, heading about an hour's drive east of Rome for a visit to a Catholic shrine and stopping on the way back to pay respects at the tomb of his predecessor Francis.
Leo waved from the passenger side of a Volkswagen vehicle as he arrived at Rome's St Mary Major Basilica.
Entering the church to a few shouts of "Viva il papa" (Long live the Pope), Leo walked slowly to Francis' tomb, laying a white flower on it.
He then knelt in prayer for a few moments.
Leo made the trip to St Mary Major after travelling to the small town of Genazzano, where he had earlier visited a shrine dedicated to the Virgin Mary.
Leo, the former US cardinal Robert Prevost, was elected pontiff on Thursday (Friday AEST).
He is a member of the Augustinian religious order, which runs the Shrine of Our Lady of Good Counsel in Genazzano.
Leo shook hands and offered blessings to a few people in the crowd before entering the shrine.
At the end of the visit there, the Pope told those in the shrine that he wanted to come to pray for guidance in the first days of his papacy, according to a Vatican statement.
The late Pope Francis, who died on April 21, made surprise visits to Catholic sites near Rome quite frequently.
He asked to be buried at St Mary Major in a simple tomb, decorated only with an inscription of the word "Franciscus" - his name in Latin.
Francis had a special devotion to the basilica, another Marian shrine.
In the first days after his burial, more than 30,000 people packed the church to visit his final resting place.
Pope Leo signalled earlier on Saturday he would continue with the vision and reforms of Pope Francis, telling cardinals the late pontiff left a "precious legacy" that must be carried on.
Pope Leo XIV has appealed to the world's major powers for "no more war" in his first Sunday message to crowds in St Peter's Square since his election as pontiff.
The new Pope, elected on Thursday, called for an "authentic and lasting peace" in Ukraine and a ceasefire in Gaza and release of all Israeli hostages.
Leo also welcomed the recent ceasefire between India and Pakistan, and said he was praying to God to grant the world the "miracle of peace".
"No more war!" the Pope said, repeating a frequent call of the late Pope Francis and noting the recent 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, which killed some 60 million people.
Leo said today's world was living through "the dramatic scenario of a Third World War being fought piecemeal", again repeating a phrase coined by Francis.
The new Pope said he carried in his heart the "suffering of the beloved people of Ukraine".
He appealed for negotiations to reach an "authentic, just and lasting peace".
He also said he was "profoundly saddened" by the war in Gaza, calling for an immediate ceasefire, humanitarian aid and release of the remaining hostages held by the militant group Hamas.
Leo said he was glad to hear of the recent India-Pakistan ceasefire and hoped negotiations would lead to a lasting accord between the nuclear armed neighbours.
He added: "But there are so many other conflicts in the world."
It comes after the Pope took his first trip outside the Vatican, heading about an hour's drive east of Rome for a visit to a Catholic shrine and stopping on the way back to pay respects at the tomb of his predecessor Francis.
Leo waved from the passenger side of a Volkswagen vehicle as he arrived at Rome's St Mary Major Basilica.
Entering the church to a few shouts of "Viva il papa" (Long live the Pope), Leo walked slowly to Francis' tomb, laying a white flower on it.
He then knelt in prayer for a few moments.
Leo made the trip to St Mary Major after travelling to the small town of Genazzano, where he had earlier visited a shrine dedicated to the Virgin Mary.
Leo, the former US cardinal Robert Prevost, was elected pontiff on Thursday (Friday AEST).
He is a member of the Augustinian religious order, which runs the Shrine of Our Lady of Good Counsel in Genazzano.
Leo shook hands and offered blessings to a few people in the crowd before entering the shrine.
At the end of the visit there, the Pope told those in the shrine that he wanted to come to pray for guidance in the first days of his papacy, according to a Vatican statement.
The late Pope Francis, who died on April 21, made surprise visits to Catholic sites near Rome quite frequently.
He asked to be buried at St Mary Major in a simple tomb, decorated only with an inscription of the word "Franciscus" - his name in Latin.
Francis had a special devotion to the basilica, another Marian shrine.
In the first days after his burial, more than 30,000 people packed the church to visit his final resting place.
Pope Leo signalled earlier on Saturday he would continue with the vision and reforms of Pope Francis, telling cardinals the late pontiff left a "precious legacy" that must be carried on.
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The United Nations has warned that most of Gaza's 2.3 million population is at risk of famine after an 11-week Israeli blockade of the enclave, with the rate of young children suffering from acute malnutrition nearly tripling. The war erupted after Hamas-led militants took 251 hostages and killed 1200 people, most of them civilians, in the October 7, 2023 attack, Israel's single deadliest day. Israel's military campaign has since killed more than 54,000 Palestinians, most of them civilians, according to health authorities in Hamas-run Gaza, and flattened much of the coastal enclave. Families of remaining hostages fear that those alive are in danger from the continued Israeli offensive and those dead will be lost forever. Israel says the campaign is aimed at bringing them all back and ending Hamas rule in the enclave. The US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation says it has been unable to distribute any humanitarian aid because Palestinian militants Hamas have issued "direct threats" against the organisation's operations. "These threats made it impossible to proceed today without putting innocent lives at risk," the organisation said in a statement on Saturday. "GHF will not be deterred. We remain committed to safe, secure and independent aid delivery. We are actively adapting our operations to overcome these threats and fully intend to resume distributions without delay." The Israeli military on Saturday retrieved the body of a Thai hostage who had been held in the Gaza Strip since Hamas' October 7, 2023 attack, Defence Minister Israel Katz said, as Israeli airstrikes killed 45 people, according to local medics. Nattapong Pinta's body was held by a Palestinian militant group called the Mujahedeen Brigades, and was recovered from the area of Rafah in south of the enclave, Katz said. His family in Thailand has been notified. Pinta, an agricultural worker, was abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz, a small Israeli community near the Gaza Strip border where a quarter of the population was killed or taken hostage during the Hamas attack that triggered the devastating war. Israel's military said Pinta had been abducted alive and killed by his captors, who had also killed and taken to the Gaza Strip the bodies of two more US-Israeli hostages that were retrieved earlier this week. There was no immediate comment from the Mujahedeen Brigades, who have previously denied killing their captives, or from Hamas. The Israeli military said the Brigades were still holding the body of another foreigner. Only 20 of the 55 remaining hostages are believed to still be alive. The Mujahedeen Brigades also held and killed Israeli hostage Shiri Bibas and her two young sons, according to Israeli authorities. Their bodies were returned during a two-month ceasefire, which collapsed in March after the two sides could not agree on terms for extending it to a second phase. Israel has since expanded its offensive across the Gaza Strip as US., Qatari and Egyptian-led efforts to secure another ceasefire have faltered. Medics in the Gaza Strip said 45 people in total were killed in Israeli air strikes across the enclave on Saturday. At least 15 Palestinians were killed and 50 wounded by air strikes in the Gaza City district of Sabra in the northern Gaza Strip on Saturday, local health authorities said. More than one missile landed in the area. The target seemed to have been a multi-floor residential building but the explosion damaged several other houses nearby, according to witnesses and media. The Israeli military did not immediately comment. It later warned people to leave the nearby district of Jabalia, saying it was going to strike there after rockets were launched by militants in the vicinity. The Palestinian Health Ministry said on Saturday that Gaza's hospitals only had fuel for three more days and that Israel was denying access for international relief agencies to areas where fuel storages designated for hospitals are located. There was no immediate response from the Israeli military or COGAT, the Israeli defence agency that co-ordinates humanitarian matters with the Palestinian side. The United Nations has warned that most of Gaza's 2.3 million population is at risk of famine after an 11-week Israeli blockade of the enclave, with the rate of young children suffering from acute malnutrition nearly tripling. The war erupted after Hamas-led militants took 251 hostages and killed 1200 people, most of them civilians, in the October 7, 2023 attack, Israel's single deadliest day. Israel's military campaign has since killed more than 54,000 Palestinians, most of them civilians, according to health authorities in Hamas-run Gaza, and flattened much of the coastal enclave. Families of remaining hostages fear that those alive are in danger from the continued Israeli offensive and those dead will be lost forever. Israel says the campaign is aimed at bringing them all back and ending Hamas rule in the enclave. The US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation says it has been unable to distribute any humanitarian aid because Palestinian militants Hamas have issued "direct threats" against the organisation's operations. "These threats made it impossible to proceed today without putting innocent lives at risk," the organisation said in a statement on Saturday. "GHF will not be deterred. We remain committed to safe, secure and independent aid delivery. We are actively adapting our operations to overcome these threats and fully intend to resume distributions without delay." The Israeli military on Saturday retrieved the body of a Thai hostage who had been held in the Gaza Strip since Hamas' October 7, 2023 attack, Defence Minister Israel Katz said, as Israeli airstrikes killed 45 people, according to local medics. Nattapong Pinta's body was held by a Palestinian militant group called the Mujahedeen Brigades, and was recovered from the area of Rafah in south of the enclave, Katz said. His family in Thailand has been notified. Pinta, an agricultural worker, was abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz, a small Israeli community near the Gaza Strip border where a quarter of the population was killed or taken hostage during the Hamas attack that triggered the devastating war. Israel's military said Pinta had been abducted alive and killed by his captors, who had also killed and taken to the Gaza Strip the bodies of two more US-Israeli hostages that were retrieved earlier this week. There was no immediate comment from the Mujahedeen Brigades, who have previously denied killing their captives, or from Hamas. The Israeli military said the Brigades were still holding the body of another foreigner. Only 20 of the 55 remaining hostages are believed to still be alive. The Mujahedeen Brigades also held and killed Israeli hostage Shiri Bibas and her two young sons, according to Israeli authorities. Their bodies were returned during a two-month ceasefire, which collapsed in March after the two sides could not agree on terms for extending it to a second phase. Israel has since expanded its offensive across the Gaza Strip as US., Qatari and Egyptian-led efforts to secure another ceasefire have faltered. Medics in the Gaza Strip said 45 people in total were killed in Israeli air strikes across the enclave on Saturday. At least 15 Palestinians were killed and 50 wounded by air strikes in the Gaza City district of Sabra in the northern Gaza Strip on Saturday, local health authorities said. More than one missile landed in the area. The target seemed to have been a multi-floor residential building but the explosion damaged several other houses nearby, according to witnesses and media. The Israeli military did not immediately comment. It later warned people to leave the nearby district of Jabalia, saying it was going to strike there after rockets were launched by militants in the vicinity. The Palestinian Health Ministry said on Saturday that Gaza's hospitals only had fuel for three more days and that Israel was denying access for international relief agencies to areas where fuel storages designated for hospitals are located. There was no immediate response from the Israeli military or COGAT, the Israeli defence agency that co-ordinates humanitarian matters with the Palestinian side. The United Nations has warned that most of Gaza's 2.3 million population is at risk of famine after an 11-week Israeli blockade of the enclave, with the rate of young children suffering from acute malnutrition nearly tripling. The war erupted after Hamas-led militants took 251 hostages and killed 1200 people, most of them civilians, in the October 7, 2023 attack, Israel's single deadliest day. Israel's military campaign has since killed more than 54,000 Palestinians, most of them civilians, according to health authorities in Hamas-run Gaza, and flattened much of the coastal enclave. Families of remaining hostages fear that those alive are in danger from the continued Israeli offensive and those dead will be lost forever. Israel says the campaign is aimed at bringing them all back and ending Hamas rule in the enclave.
