Pope Leo XIV issued an appeal for global peace during his traditional Easter message “Urbi et Orbi” (To the City and to the World) on Sunday, April 5, calling on those with the power to wage war to lay down their weapons, Vatican News repoted.
Speaking from the central loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica following Easter Mass, the Pontiff addressed a world “devastated by war” and marked by a “globalisation of indifference.”
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“Let those who hold weapons lay them down! Let those who have the power to incite war choose peace!” the Pope declared to thousands of pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square. “Peace achieved not by force, but by dialogue; not with the desire to dominate others, but to meet them.”
Pope Leo XIV warned that the world is growing accustomed to violence and becoming resigned to evil. To counter this, he invited the faithful to join a special prayer vigil for peace to be held at St. Peter’s Basilica next Saturday, April 11.
The Pope’s plea comes amid a major intensification of hostilities in Ukraine. In a phone call with President Volodymyr Zelensky earlier this weekend, the Pontiff expressed his closeness to the Ukrainian people as the country faced what Zelensky described as an “Easter escalation.”
Despite Kyiv’s proposal for a symbolic ceasefire during the holiday, Russian forces launched a massive wave of drone and missile strikes across at least five regions, killing 14 people nationwide on Friday and Saturday. Zelensky noted that the attacks continued even as he spoke with the Pope, calling them a “direct rebuff” to any peace overtures.
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During his Easter Vigil homily on Saturday evening, Pope Leo XIV reflected on “tombs still to be opened today,” specifically citing war, injustice, and the isolation of nations. He exhorted the international community not to be “paralysed” by these challenges but to respond with the “power of love which unites and restores life.”
The Vatican confirmed that the Pope remains in active contact with both the Ukrainian and US negotiating teams, focusing on humanitarian aid and the release of prisoners, including the return of abducted Ukrainian children.
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