Pope Leo warned the world was becoming “accustomed to violence” in his Easter message from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, deliver a rallying cry against war and hatred to the tens of thousands as conflict rages in the Middle East.
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In his first Urbi et Orbi message, the traditional apostolic blessing and message to the world, the American-born Pope called upon humanity to “abandon every desire for conflict, domination and power,” and said the world risked becoming “indifferent to the deaths of thousands of people” and the “hatred and division that conflicts sow.”
“Let those who have weapons lay them down,” he said. “Let those who have the power to unleash wars choose peace! Not a peace imposed by force, but through dialogue!”
“We cannot continue to be indifferent,” he continued. “And we cannot resign ourselves to evil.”
Pope Leo has consistently positioned himself as a critic of war and of political rhetoric that fuels it, addressing President Donald Trump directly for the first time in the past week as he urged restraint and de-escalation in the war in Iran.
“Hopefully he’s looking for an off-ramp,” the pope told journalists on Tuesday outside his residence in Castel Gandolfo, near Rome. “Hopefully he’s looking for a way to decrease the amount of violence.”
Leo, born in Chicago as Robert Francis Prevost, has largely steered away from comment on domestic U.S. politics since succeeding Pope Francis last May, but has frequently used his platform to reiterate the messages on war and inequality that saw his predecessor considered a progressive firebrand by some within the Church.
He drew directly on Francis’ words on Sunday, quoting one of his final remarks: “What a great thirst for death, for killing, we witness each day in the many conflicts raging in different parts of the world!”
Last week, he said no one could use Jesus to “justify war,” citing the Bible verse: “He does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, but rejects them.”
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His comments have stood in pointed contrast to the rhetoric of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, an evangelical Protestant, who during a prayer service he convened at the Pentagon on Wednesday asked God to help U.S. Forces.
“Let every round find its mark against the enemies of righteousness and our great nation,” Hegseth said. “Give them wisdom in every decision, endurance for the trial ahead, unbreakable unity, and overwhelming violence of action against those who deserve no mercy.”
The Pontiff said earlier in March that Christian political leaders who start wars should go to confession and assess whether they are following the teachings of Jesus, without naming Trump or any administration official directly.
Efforts to surround war “with a kind of religious approval” is something Pope Leo wants to combat, said Professor Gregory Reichberg, a Research Professor at the Peace Research Institute Oslo.
“I think he sees that as very dangerous,” he told NBC News. “With some of the pronouncements by Hegseth, it’s as though God exalts in bringing violence upon evildoers, and I think Pope Leo and his predecessors want to articulate just how wrong that is.”
In February, the Vatican declined an invitation to participate in Trump’s “Board of Peace” initiative, while Vatican officials have also said there are no plans for him to visit his homeland this year, as he instead focuses on outreach across Africa and Europe.
Leo’s tone in his Easter message echoed his first address in May 2025, in which he set out a vision of a Church centered on peace, charity and closeness to those suffering, calling for a community that “moves forward” while remaining attentive to the most vulnerable.
Following his address on Sunday, Leo stood atop the Popemobile waving to crowd and kissing the foreheads of babies and young children as he was carried around Vatican City, with thousands of people cheering and waving flags from all over the world.
Authorities estimated that 50,000 people had attended the celebration in St Peter’s Square at the Vatican, with another ten thousand waiting and watching from outside.