Pope Leo XIV called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the entry of humanitarian aid into the Strip, and the release of all hostages in his first Sunday message to crowds in St. Peter’s Square since his election as pontiff.
Quoting his late predecessor Pope Francis in denouncing the number of conflicts ravaging the globe today, the new pontiff spoke of a “Third World War in pieces.” He decried the war in Ukraine, calling for a “genuine, just and lasting peace” there, and welcomed the recent truce between India and Pakistan after fighting there.
“I too address the world’s great powers by repeating the ever-present call ‘Never again to war,’” Leo said from the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica to an estimated 100,000 people below.
“I am deeply saddened by what is happening in Gaza,” the pope said.
“May a ceasefire immediately come into effect,” he continued, to long applause and cheers.
“Let humanitarian aid be given to the exhausted civilian population, and let all hostages be freed,” he added.
The war in Gaza began on October 7, 2023, when the Hamas terror group and its allies invaded southern Israel, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 251 hostages (58 of them, as well as a soldier killed in 2014, are still held in the Strip).
Twenty-four of the hostages are officially believed to be alive, though Israel has said it has “grave concerns” for three of those.
In March, Israel cut off the flow of humanitarian aid into the Strip, amid efforts to pressure Hamas — which Jerusalem says has diverted much of the aid delivered to the Strip — into releasing hostages. On Sunday, Israel backed an initiative made public in vague terms by Washington on Friday for a new mechanism to distribute aid to civilians.
The late Pope Francis called repeatedly for a ceasefire in Gaza, as well as for the release of the hostages, regularly speaking over video calls with the Christian community in Gaza and meeting with the families of several Israeli hostages.
Francis, who died last month, drew harsh criticism from Jewish and Israeli leaders following his response to the October 7 attack and the subsequent war. Leo’s predecessor endorsed the idea of investigating whether the Israeli campaign in Gaza amounted to genocide, called the humanitarian situation in the Strip “shameful,” and at one point appeared to call Israel’s war-fighting “terrorism.” He also visited a Vatican nativity scene in which Jesus was portrayed wearing a keffiyeh. The display was removed following criticism.
Addressing the ongoing war in Ukraine, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion of the country in 2022, Leo said: “I carry in my heart the sufferings of the beloved Ukrainian people.”
“Let everything possible be done to achieve genuine, just and lasting peace as soon as possible,” he continued.
“Let all the prisoners [of war] be freed, and the children returned to their family,” Leo added.
Russia has forcefully deported almost 20,000 Ukrainian children since the start of the invasion, according to Ukraine. A December 2024 report by the Yale Humanitarian Research Lab called the practice “intentional, systemic, and widespread.”
The pontiff also briefly addressed the recent fighting between India and Pakistan.
“I was happy to see that there is a ceasefire between India and Pakistan,” he said, “and I hope that through the coming negotiations we might soon come to a lasting accord.”
The truce, announced Saturday, appears to be holding, according to reports, though India and Pakistan have both accused each other of violations.
“I entrust this appeal to the Queen of Peace (the Virgin Mary), so that it might be she who presents it to the Lord Jesus, to achieve the miracle of peace,” Leo said.
He also noted that Sunday was Mother’s Day in Italy and other countries, expressing a prayer for all mothers, “including those who are already in heaven.”