Pope Leo XIV on May 14 offered to mediate in resolving conflicts between leaders of countries in conflict around the world, while emphasizing that he himself "will make every effort to achieve peace."
In a speech to members of the Eastern Catholic Church at the Vatican on May 14, Pope Leo XIV said: "From the Holy Land to Ukraine, from Lebanon to Syria, from the Middle East to Tigray and the Caucasus, we witness so much violence."
Leo XIV also called on Christians living in the Middle East not to leave their homes, and pledged to make every effort to achieve comprehensive peace, according to AFP.
"The Holy See is always ready to help bring enemies together, face to face, to talk to each other, so that people everywhere can once again find hope and regain the benefit they deserve, the dignity of peace. The peoples of the world desire peace, and I appeal to their leaders with all my heart: Meet, talk, negotiate!", Pope Leo XIV added.
Earlier, in his first major speech after taking office, Pope Leo XIV on May 11 urged world leaders to end conflicts, calling for a "just, true and lasting" peace in Ukraine and an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
Leo XIV took over from the late Pope Francis on May 8, becoming the first American pope in the history of the Catholic Church. Upon his inauguration, Pope Leo XIV vowed to continue the vision and reforms of the late Pope Francis, stressing that the late pope had left a "precious legacy" that needed to be maintained.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper
