Pope Leo delivers first 'Regina Caeli' prayers from St. Peter's balcony
The newly elected holy father delivered the message just hours after visiting the tomb of his predecessor, Pope Francis.
"I wanted so much to come here in these first days of the new Ministry that the Church has given me, to carry forward this mission as Successor of Peter," the pope said.
He also delivered a message to young Catholics regarding vocations, saying, "Do not be afraid! Welcome the Church's invitation and that of Christ the Lord!"
"May the Virgin Mary, whose entire life was a response to the Lord's call, always accompany us in following Jesus," he said.
Pope Leo also appealed for "no more war" during his address to those gathered in St. Peter's Square. He also called for an "authentic and lasting" peace in Ukraine as well as a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of all hostages being held by Hamas.
The pope went on to say he was grateful for the ceasefire declared between India and Pakistan, adding that he is praying for 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 the Second World War, which killed some 60 million people.
In his first official remarks as pope on Saturday, Leo delivered a powerful message to the College of Cardinals, warning that artificial intelligence (AI) presents serious new risks to human dignity. He called on the Catholic Church to step up and respond to these challenges with moral clarity and bold action.
A former missionary and head of the Dicastery for Bishops, Pope Leo, born Robert Francis Prevost, speaks English, Spanish and Italian and was widely seen as a unifying choice after the death of Pope Francis. His decision to take the name "Leo" connects his mission with Pope Leo XIII's focus on social justice.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Wall Street Journal
7 minutes ago
- Wall Street Journal
Trump's Vow to Be ‘President of Peace' Falls Short in Ukraine and Gaza
Since returning to the White House, President Trump has branded himself as the 'president of peace,' boasting that he has averted half a dozen wars and repeatedly saying he deserves the Nobel Peace Prize. Yet six months into his term, his record is decidedly mixed, with scant headway in ending two of the world's most intractable wars, Ukraine and Gaza. Trump has had his successes. He has leveraged economic pressure to tamp down a border clash between Cambodia and Thailand and, his aides say, engaged in intensive telephone diplomacy to avert a war from spiraling between India and Pakistan, two nuclear-armed powers.
Forbes
27 minutes ago
- Forbes
Restructuring For Nutraceutical Founders Facing Tariffs
WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 02: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a 'Make America Wealthy Again' trade announcement event in the Rose Garden at the White House on April 2, 2025 in Washington, DC. Touting the event as 'Liberation Day', Trump announced additional tariffs targeting goods imported to the U.S. (Photo by) Getty Images The European Union agreed to settle with the United States on a 15% tariff rate to prevent being subject to a 30% or higher rate. Although some categories of goods and services may be exempt or subject to a lower rate, the pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industry anticipates its costs to rise by over $19 billion. While businesses are focused on the import and export rules, along with distribution and manufacturing channels, the underlying impact on the asset valuation and protection of founders and entrepreneurs i among the most impacted industries including, pharmaceuticals, remains to be seen. Over 40% of international exports from Europe are targeted toward the U.S. market. The tariff can dynamically shift business operations and goals for small and medium sized businesses. Additionally, founders and entrepreneurs operating between the two jurisdictions may have to restructure their enterprises and asset holdings to prevent additional tax and tariff exposure. Consider a small family-owned company operating in Germany exporting nutraceutical supplements to the United States in liaison with a sports and fitness company in the United States. With the increased tariff costs, the cost of purchasing supplements for the U.S. company would increase significantly. Additionally, the German company, due to its small size and inability to absorb the increased cost may not be able to meet the prior demands or its contractual obligations. Both the U.S. and the German business owners would be impacted adversely. For founders and entrepreneurs, especially in the wellness, nutraceutical, or pharmaceutical industries, a key component of their value is in their intellectual property. Small companies are often structured for simplicity to minimize administrative burdens on management and compliance. More importantly, the value of the good subject to the tariff duty often includes intellectual property licensing fees which can greatly increase the cost. Founders of small and mid-sized companies in the pharmaceutical industry may need to revisit restructuring their businesses to allow for more licensing and intellectual property access so that manufacturing for domestically distributed goods can be done locally to offset export duties. However, cross-border contractual agreements are not limited to ensuring that licensor and licensee meet the terms of the contact, but also can impact each business' investments, growth, and exit opportunities. Additionally, if the intellectual property is not properly protected, or held within the company manufacturing the product, it may not be protected in the event of a lawsuit against the product manufacturer. A sound structure even for a small business entails separating the intellectual property assets from the primary business activity and implementing a series of licensing and royalty agreements to manage the use of the intellectual property. Business valuations and assets included in a business transaction can be impacted by the structuring of the business. Additionally, segregating the intellectual property may offer tax advantages because it can be placed in more tax-favorable jurisdictions than the tax imposed on income generated by other assets and activities. Overall, the tariff deal between Europe and the United States impacts consumers and business owners in both jurisdictions at multiple levels. Increased costs would shift to the consumers which may make some products unaffordable or inaccessible. The cost of manufacturing and distribution may be unsustainable especially for growing enterprises that are small or mid-sized in the pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industries. Fulfillment orders between companies may be adversely impacted. Business owners, especially with multinational ties, can mitigate some of the burden of the tariffs and maximize their business opportunities by realigning and restructuring to optimize intellectual property access, use, and protection so that manufacturing and distribution in aligned with the consumer needs and location.
Yahoo
30 minutes ago
- Yahoo
'Legitimizes horrific war crimes': Hostage Forum challenges Palestinian state recognition
The forum warned that recognizing a Palestinian state before the hostages are freed would legitimize terrorism as a path to political gains. Amid rising calls from European nations to recognize Palestinian statehood, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum has called the moves counterproductive to peace, as 50 hostages remain in Hamas captivity for 663 days. 'Recognizing a Palestinian state while 50 hostages remain trapped in Hamas tunnels amounts to rewarding terrorism,' a spokesperson for the forum said on Wednesday. 'Such recognition is not a step toward peace but rather a clear violation of international law and a dangerous moral and political failure that legitimizes horrific war crimes.' The forum emphasized that a state cannot be founded on the basis of abducting men, women, and children, holding them against their will in inhumane conditions underground, and subjecting them to starvation as well as physical and mental abuse. The forum noted that recognition of a Palestinian state before the release of the remaining hostages would send a message that terrorist activities would be validated as a legitimate pathway to political goals. They called for the international community to join the United States' efforts to call for the release of the hostages, followed by an end to fighting. 'The essential first step toward ensuring a better future for all peoples must be the release of all hostages through a single, comprehensive deal,' the spokesperson said. Following British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's announcement of a potential September UK recognition of a Palestinian state, representatives of the families of British citizens held hostage in Gaza, as well as hostages with close ties to the country, have raised concerns over his decision. British citizen Emily Damari was released from captivity in February 2025, and Nadav Popplewell was murdered in captivity in June 2024. Presumed living hostage Avinatan Or, whose mother is British, is still held in captivity, as is the body of slain hostage Yossi Sharabi. 'For almost two years, the British hostage families have encouraged the UK to use any leverage it has to help secure the release of their loved ones. They have sat in 10 Downing Street with successive prime ministers and foreign secretaries who have looked them in the eyes and promised the UK will do everything in its power to secure the immediate and unconditional release of their loved ones, whose detention is unambiguously a war crime,' the statement said. 'We are concerned that the UK's proposal risks delaying the release of the hostages. This is because the UK has said that it will recognize a Palestinian state unless Israel agrees to a ceasefire. But the risk is that Hamas will continue to refuse a ceasefire because if it agrees to one, this would make UK recognition less likely,' the statement added. The representatives of the families noted the deep concern associated with the UK's approach, claiming it disincentivizes Hamas from releasing the hostages, risking what the prime minister claims the country will not do: reward Hamas for its despicable acts. Which European countries have called for Palestinian statehood recognition? Prior to France's decision to recognize Palestine, 10 out of 27 European Union (EU) countries had already recognized Palestinian statehood. Among those are Bulgaria, Cyprus, Hungary, Poland, and Romania, all of which recognized Palestine in 1988 prior to joining the EU. The former country of Czechoslovakia also recognized Palestinian statehood in 1988, but after splitting into the Czech Republic and Slovakia in 1992, the Czech Republic did not recognize the state. Slovakia reconfirmed recognition in 1993. In October 2014, Sweden became the first EU country to recognize Palestinian statehood while a member of the union. In May 2024, amidst Israel's ongoing war against Hamas in Gaza following the October 7 massacre just seven months before, Spain and Ireland recognized a Palestinian state. The countries claimed it was an effort toward peace. Weeks later, Slovenia made the same recognition on June 4. On Thursday, French President Emmanuel Macron announced plans to recognize a Palestinian state, scolded by both Netanyahu and US leadership, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio. "This reckless decision only serves Hamas propaganda and sets back peace. It is a slap in the face to the victims of October 7th," Rubio wrote on X. Malta announced on Tuesday their plan to recognize a Palestinian state, as well as the United Kingdom. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer told the UK cabinet that they will make the recognition in September, unless Israel takes "substantive steps to end the appalling situation in Gaza," Starmer's office announced on Tuesday. Starter denied that the recognition was set up as a punishment for Israel. Countries including Germany and Italy have announced no plans to recognize such a state; Belgian officials stated that it is on the table for the government to decide in early September.
