Pope Leo XIV Calls for Global Peace in First Sunday Message
By: Israel Adeleke
OPEN TELEVISION NAIJA (OTN) News reports as gathered that the newly elected leader of the Catholic Church, Pope Leo XIV, has issued a heartfelt call for an end to war and violence around the world, urging nations to seek “genuine, just, and lasting peace.”
OTN News further reports that the newly elected leader of the Catholic Church speaking from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica on Sunday, being his first Sunday message and his second public appearance as pontiff, directly appealed for peace in Ukraine and expressed deep sorrow over the escalating conflict in the Gaza Strip.
He called for an immediate ceasefire in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.
“Let us not grow weary in our pursuit of peace,” Pope Leo said after leading a prayer to the Virgin Mary, his voice echoing through the square below filled with thousands of faithful.
He urged the global community to reflect on the devastating consequences of war, recalling the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, a conflict that claimed the lives of 60 million people.
The 267th pope, chosen by the College of Cardinals during a secret conclave on Thursday, has taken the helm of the 2,000-year-old Church at a time of deep internal division and rising global tensions.
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