Pope Leo XIV yesterday urged “those who have the power to unleash wars” to “choose peace” in in his first Easter blessing as pontiff with the Middle East conflict raging.
Catholics around the world marked the holiday under the shadow of a war that began with US-Israeli strikes against Iran on Feb. 28 and has drawn in the whole region, convulsing the global economy.
“We are growing accustomed to violence, resigning ourselves to it, and becoming indifferent. Indifferent to the deaths of thousands of people,” the pope told a crowd in St Peter’s Square.
Photo: Reuters
Leo, who was elected in May last year, paid tribute to his predecessor pope Francis who last appeared in public on Easter Sunday last year — a few hours before his death.
Leo has repeatedly called for peace in the Middle East and this week directly urged US President Donald Trump to find an “off-ramp.”
Yesterday, he spoke of “a world ravaged by wars and marked by a hatred and indifference that make us feel powerless in the face of evil.”
Leo did not mention any specific conflicts in the message, known as the Urbi et Orbi (to the city and the world) blessing. It was unusually brief and direct.
The pope said that the story of Easter, when the Bible says Jesus rose from the dead three days after not resisting his execution by crucifixion, shows that Christ was “entirely nonviolent.”
“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,” Leo said.
In his address from the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica to the Square below, decorated with thousands of brightly colored flowers for the holiday, Leo offered brief Easter greetings in 10 languages, including Latin, Arabic and Mandarin.
The pope also announced he would return to the Basilica on Saturday to host a prayer vigil for peace.
Additional reporting by Reuters
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