Pope Leo XIV pledges support for global peace efforts

• Pope Leo XIV is committed to actions for world peace.
• The Holy See is ready to support dialogue between adversaries.
• The Pope calls for an end to violence and emphasizes the value of peace.

During an audience in the Paul VI Hall at the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV met with delegations from Eastern Churches, including those from Ukraine. Faithful attendees from Ukraine brought their national flags, underscoring their desire for peace. The Pope expressed satisfaction with the opportunity to meet with representatives of the Eastern Churches, which Pope Francis has described as being in a state of "martyrdom."

Leo XIV emphasized that "the peace of Christ is not the grave silence after a conflict but a gift that awakens life." The Pope called for prayer for peace and advocated reconciliation and forgiveness.

The Holy See is always ready to help bring enemies together, face to face, to talk to one another, so that peoples everywhere may once more find hope and recover the dignity they deserve, the dignity of peace — declared the leader of the Catholic Church.

The Pope noted that war is never inevitable, and that weapons do not solve problems. He emphasized that history will remember those who sow peace, not those who reap the harvest of death. Leo XIV appealed for the rejection of visions dividing the world into good and evil entities.

Leo XIV expressed gratitude to Christians from the Middle East for their perseverance and decision to stay on their lands despite difficulties. You are valuable, he said, highlighting the importance of their spirituality and traditions to the Church.

The Pope pointed out the dangers posed by the migration of Eastern Church believers to the West, including the potential loss of religious identity. The Church needs you — he stated, emphasizing that the spirituality of the Christian East is a "remedy" for the modern world.