Pope Leo XIV calls for peace during Easter celebrations

In his first Easter blessing at St Peter’s Square, Pope Leo XIV delivered a powerful appeal for peace, urging world leaders to choose dialogue over force.

“May those with the power to start wars choose peace—not a peace imposed by force, but a peace built through dialogue; not to dominate others, but to meet them,” he said.

Addressing over 50,000 worshippers, the pontiff also cautioned against a “globalization of indifference,” echoing the concerns of his predecessor, Pope Francis.

The ongoing conflicts in the Middle East have profoundly affected Christian minorities.

In Jerusalem, the streets around the Church of the Holy Sepulchre—the site traditionally believed to mark the Resurrection—were eerily quiet, with tight security limiting access to a select few.