EDITOR
In his first Sunday noon blessing as pontiff, Pope Leo XIV issued a powerful appeal for peace, urging a just resolution to the war in Ukraine and an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. Speaking to an estimated crowd of 100,000 gathered in St. Peter’s Square, the newly elected pope emphasized the need for global unity and the rejection of armed conflict.
“I, too, address the world’s great powers by repeating the ever-present call: ‘Never again war,’” said Pope Leo from the central loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica, marking his return to the same balcony where he first appeared to the world following his historic election as the first American pope.
Continuing the traditional papal custom of delivering the Sunday Angelus prayer, Leo introduced subtle but symbolic changes. Unlike recent popes who spoke from the Apostolic Palace’s studio window, Leo opted to address the faithful from the basilica’s central balcony — the heart of the Catholic Church — reinforcing a message of inclusion and unity.
Due to logistical constraints, the papal apartments in the Apostolic Palace remained sealed until Sunday afternoon, following the death of Pope Francis on April 21. Pope Leo, a 69-year-old missionary from Chicago and a member of the Augustinian order, has been residing in his former Vatican apartment since his election on Thursday.
Leo also brought back certain traditional elements that have resonated with conservative Catholics. He sang the Regina Caeli in Latin — a departure from the more modern recitation of recent pontiffs — and previously appeared in the formal red papal cape, a garment Pope Francis had abandoned. On Saturday, Leo was seen wearing a brocaded papal stole during a visit to a Marian sanctuary near Rome, where he knelt reverently at the altar, accompanied by clergy in traditional long cassocks.
These gestures have been cautiously welcomed by more traditionalist segments of the Church. Conservative Italian journalist Aldo Maria Valli remarked positively on the pope’s early liturgical choices, urging fellow traditionalists to remain open-minded. “Don’t shoot Leo,” Valli wrote on his blog.
During Sunday’s appearance, the pope wore the simple white cassock of the papacy and a modest silver pectoral cross, having previously worn a more elaborate cross containing relics of St. Augustine and St. Monica — a nod to his Augustinian heritage.
Pope Leo XIV faces a full week of introductory meetings and audiences ahead of his formal installation Mass next Sunday. His early focus on peace, liturgical tradition, and outreach suggests a papacy committed to bridging divisions within the Church while engaging with pressing global issues.
