On Wednesday, Pope Leo XIV extended an offer to mediate between warring nations, declaring his personal commitment to ensuring that peace prevails. “I will make every effort so that this peace may prevail,” he affirmed during a speech addressed to members of the Eastern Catholic Churches.
The newly elected U.S.-born pontiff—who assumed leadership of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics following the death of Pope Francis on April 21—also urged Christians in the Middle East to remain in their homelands despite ongoing unrest. Speaking in the packed Paul VI Hall at the Vatican, he addressed them with compassion: “Who better than you can sing a song of hope amid the abyss of violence?”
Citing regions such as the Holy Land, Ukraine, Lebanon, Syria, Tigray, and the Caucasus, Pope Leo condemned the widespread suffering caused by conflict. He called on believers to pray fervently for peace and emphasized the Vatican’s readiness to facilitate dialogue: “The Holy See is always willing to bring enemies together, face to face, to foster conversation so that people everywhere can rediscover hope and reclaim their dignity—the dignity of peace.”
Making an impassioned appeal to global leaders, he said, “The peoples of our world long for peace. To their leaders, I say with all my heart: let us meet, let us talk, let us negotiate.”
The Pope’s remarks came during a pre-planned event for the 2025 Jubilee Holy Year, dedicated to the 23 Eastern Catholic Churches across Eastern Europe, the Middle East, India, and parts of Africa. In keeping with a central theme of his papacy so far, Pope Leo expressed gratitude to those working toward reconciliation: “I thank God for those Christians—Eastern and Latin alike—who, especially in the Middle East, remain steadfast in their native lands, resisting the urge to flee.”
He concluded with a strong plea: “Christians must be given the real opportunity—not just words—to remain in their homelands with all the rights necessary for a secure and dignified existence. Please, let us strive to make this a reality.”
