Pope Leo XIV marked his first Easter Mass as pontiff on Sunday, greeting thousands of worshippers at St. Peter’s Basilica and the square in Rome. In his homily he renewed an urgent appeal for world leaders to abandon ambitions of domination and power. “Let those who have weapons lay them down!” he said. “Let those who have the power to unleash wars choose peace!”
Without naming individuals, he added: “On this day of celebration, let us abandon every desire for conflict, domination, and power, and implore the Lord to grant his peace to a world ravaged by wars.”
A noted critic of war—particularly the recent US-Israeli military actions in Iran—he warned the faithful against “growing accustomed to violence, resigning ourselves to it, and becoming indifferent.” Thousands attended the Easter Sunday Mass in St. Peter’s Square, the high point of the liturgical year that celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ and his victory over death.
From the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica he delivered the traditional “Urbi et Orbi” blessing, offering messages of Easter peace in ten languages, including Arabic, Chinese and Latin. He told those gathered he would return to St. Peter’s to pray for peace at a vigil scheduled for Saturday.
Edited by Sean Sinico.