Speaking from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, Pope Leo XIV delivered his first Easter Sunday message since assuming leadership of the Catholic Church, issuing a powerful appeal for peace in a world scarred by conflict.
“Let us abandon every desire for conflict, domination, and power,” he declared. “Let us ask the Lord to grant His peace to a world devastated by wars and marked by hatred and indifference that leave us feeling powerless in the face of evil.”
The pontiff urged those who wield influence to turn away from violence. “Let those who bear arms lay them down. Let those who have the power to unleash wars choose peace,” he said. “Not a peace imposed by force, but one achieved through dialogue. Not through the desire to dominate others, but to encounter them.”
Thousands gathered in St. Peter’s Square to hear the message, with one group holding a banner in Italian reading: “Pope Leo, we stand with you—guide our future.”
In his address, Leo echoed the words of the late Pope Francis, invoking the notion of the “globalization of indifference,” and acknowledging that people “grow accustomed to violence, accept it, and become indifferent.” He emphasized that the power of Easter—when Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ—is “entirely nonviolent.”
The Pope also announced a special prayer vigil for peace to be held at St. Peter’s Basilica on Saturday, April 11, underscoring his intention to place peace at the heart of his papacy from its very beginning.
