Pope Leo XIV Calls For End To All Wars In First Sunday Blessing As Pontiff

Pope Leo XIV wasted no time making his position clear on global conflict, using his first Sunday blessing as pontiff to follow in his predecessor’s footsteps and call for an end to all wars currently ravaging the world.

“The immense tragedy of the Second World War ended 80 years ago, after so many millions of victims. And now we’re facing the tragedy of a Third World War in pieces, as Pope Francis often said,” the new pope told the massive crowd from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican.

“I too would like to address the powerful people of the world by repeating the ever-present call ‘never again war.’”

Last week’s conclave swiftly resulted in the unprecedented election of the first North American pope ― a 69-year-old missionary who hails from Chicago and spent much of his life in Peru. His first appearance as pontiff came Thursday, where he delivered a message of peace and unity. On Sunday, he called out specific conflicts and war that have divided much of the world.

A crowd attends the first Sunday blessing by Pope Leo XIV at St. Peter's Square in the Vatican, on May 11. Leo (formerly Robert Francis Prevost) was elected to the papacy on May 8 following the death of Pope Francis on April 21.
A crowd attends the first Sunday blessing by Pope Leo XIV at St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican, on May 11. Leo (formerly Robert Francis Prevost) was elected to the papacy on May 8 following the death of Pope Francis on April 21.

Laura Lezza via Getty Images

“I carry in my heart the suffering of the beloved Ukrainian people,” Leo said, referring to Russia’s yearslong war against its neighbour. “May whatever is possible be done to reach an authentic, true and lasting peace as quickly as possible. May all the prisoners be freed. May children return to their families.”

The pope also said that he is “deeply hurt” by the humanitarian crisis facing Gaza due to Israel’s invasion. Leo called for a ceasefire to “immediately come into effect,” for desperately needed aid to reach Palestinian families and for all hostages to be freed.

Leo added that he was “happy to hear” of the ceasefire agreement between India and Pakistan, expressing his hope that the two nuclear powers can negotiate a “lasting accord.” Just hours after the ceasefire, however, both countries allegedly restarted their bombing campaigns.

Before Leo, Pope Francis gained a reputation for his progressive reforms and for speaking on behalf of marginalised peoples who bear the consequences of global conflict and war launched by major powers. Both the public and a polarized Catholic Church had been waiting to see if the new pope would follow his predecessor’s lead.

Pope Leo XIV speaks from the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica, where he delivered his first Sunday blessing to the faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square, on May 11.
Pope Leo XIV speaks from the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, where he delivered his first Sunday blessing to the faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square, on May 11.

Domenico Stinellis via Associated Press

“My hope would be that he has, now, a new platform to reintroduce what the church has always called for in terms of its social justice agenda, and it will give people another opportunity to take a second look at what Francis was saying – but now in the words and the voice of an American who speaks like an American. I think that’s going to be very powerful going forward,” Cardinal Blase Cupich, archbishop of Chicago, told ABC’s This Week on Sunday.

Pope Francis frequently butted heads with the United States, specifically the Trump administration in regards to immigrants. Cupich said that Leo will continue his predecessor’s work in standing up for the vulnerableincluding in his home country, the US.

“I think he’s going to help complete and complement our political agenda. He’ll talk a lot about the immigrants as well because he knows about the sufferings of people and the real needs that they have for a better life,” Cupich said.

“And he knows too that people in Oceania, for instance, where the rising sea levels are just overwhelming those islands, where people are trying to escape; he sees the drug trade that’s happening in Central and South America, where there are weapons from the United States going there,” he continued. “He knows that those people need an option. And he’ll for, I think, as the bishops have in the United States, fixing this broken immigration system.”

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Trump’s Envoy Had An Eyebrow-Raising Reply To Claims Putin Already Breached Ceasefire Plan

Donald Trump’s envoy has dismissed claims from Ukraine that Vladimir Putin had already breached terms of a partial ceasefire deal overnight.

The US president said on Tuesday that he had managed to persuade his Russian counterpart to agree to halt all strikes on “energy and infrastructure” in Ukraine for 30 days, in what he described as a major step towards peace.

But the Kremlin’s readout of the call was worded slightly differently, saying Moscow had only agreed to a temporary ceasefire on “energy infrastructure”.

Hours later, president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said there had been direct strikes on civilian infrastructure across Ukraine yet again.

European leaders quickly condemned Russia for breaching the terms of the agreement already, but it seems the White House was not so worried.

Steve Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy, told Bloomberg TV he had it on “good information” that Putin had told Russian forces not to strike Ukrainian energy infrastructure within 10 minutes of his call to Trump.

Witkoff said: “Putin issued an order within 10 minutes of his call with the president directing Russian forces not to be attacking any Ukrainian energy infrastructure.

“Any attacks that happened last night would have happened before that order was given.

“In fact, the Russians tell me this morning that seven of their drones were on their way when President Putin issued his order and they were shot down by Russian forces.”

He continued: “So I tend to believe that President Putin is operating in good faith. He said that he was going to be operating in good faith to the President yesterday, and I take him at his word.”

Russia has also accused Ukraine of breaching the truce, saying its defence ministry destroyed 57 Ukrainian drones overnight.

Witkoff then praised the relationship between Putin and Trump, saying he expected to pair to meet soon.

He said: “You know, I can’t speak for them, but my best bet would be that it’s likely to happen. They have a great rapport together. They had a great rapport in the first Trump administration.

“It was on display yesterday. This was really a very positive, very proactive, outcome oriented call, and that’s who President Trump is. He’s there to get to the goal line. And we did a we went a long way yesterday to doing that.”

The envoy’s comments come as Trump and Zelenskyy were having a scheduled phone call about ending the Ukraine war on Wednesday.

Their relationship has been far less “positive” than Trump and Putin’s, especially after the US president chastised Zelenskyy in the Oval Office over his supposed lack of gratitude for America’s support throughout the war.

Trump even withheld military aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine until Kyiv agreed to a 30-day ceasefire and a mineral-sharing deal with the States as a form of repayment for wartime support.

Although Putin ordered the full-blown invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Trump has not asked the aggressor to make any concessions in the name of peace.

But Trump’s national security adviser Mike Waltz has suggested Ukraine may have to do “some type of territory-for-future-security guarantees” for the country’s future – and a “permanent pathway into Nato is incredibly unlikely”.

Meanwhile, Russian troops continue to advance in eastern Ukraine.

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Hamas And Israel Have Finally Agreed To A Ceasefire Deal. Here’s What You Need to Know

Israel and Hamas have finally reached a ceasefire deal after more than a year of devastating conflict in the Palestinian territory of Gaza.

While negotiators in Qatar announced an agreement had been reached on Wednesday evening, it is not yet set in stone as the Israeli cabinet have still to vote in favour of it.

Here’s what you need to know.

Recap: How did the Israel-Hamas war start?

While tensions between the two sides have been high ever since the state of Israel was established in 1948, this particular war started on October 7, 2023.

Hamas militants, backed by the Iranian regime, crossed into Israeli land and killed 1,200 people and took a further 251 others hostage.

Israel declared war on Gaza – where Hamas is based – and launched a land offensive, locking down the Palestinian territory borders and bombarding the territory with missiles.

The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza says there have been more than 46,600 deaths in the region since the war began.

But, according to an independent study published in The Lancet, this is an underestimate. The researchers claim Israeli forces have killed more than 64,000 people in Gaza since October 2023.

The vast majority of the territory’s 2.3 million population has also been displaced due to the war, with little food, fuel, medicine or shelter due to the Israeli obstruction of aid at Gaza’s borders.

As of January 15, it is believed there are 94 Israeli people still being held in Gaza, 34 of whom are presumed dead.

The war also increased tensions between Israel and other Iranian proxies across the Middle East, including Lebanon-based Hezbollah and the Houthis in Yemen.

Israel and Lebanon reached a ceasefire deal in November 2024.

Smoke rises following an explosion in the Gaza Strip, as seen from southern Israel, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025.
Smoke rises following an explosion in the Gaza Strip, as seen from southern Israel, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025.

via Associated Press

What are the terms of the new ceasefire agreement?

If signed off, the deal will come into effect from Sunday – meaning fighting continues on the ground right now – and there will be three phases.

The first six-week phase will see 33 Hamas hostages – children, women, the elderly, the sick and injured – released.

In exchange, Israel will free a large number of Palestinian prisoners, including around 1,000 who were detained after the October 7 attacks.

Once the deal is agreed to, the names of all those due for release – some of whom are serving time for murder or terrorism – will be published and the families of any victims will have 48 hours to appeal.

Israeli troops will then begin withdrawing from built up urban areas and relocating to buffer zones which are no more than 700 metres inside Gaza’s border with Israel.

However, that could exclude Israel’s 4km militarised belt across the middle of the territory which is meant to control movement in Gaza. That withdrawal will be staggered.

Israel will also allow displaced Palestinians in the south to head north again, and up to 600 trucks of aid may be permitted into the area, which is currently in the throes of a major humanitarian crisis.

It’s not clear if displaced Gazans will be screened before returning to their homes, as Israeli negotiators had asked.

Wounded civilians will also be allowed to leave the territory for treatment.

The Rafah crossing with Egypt will be opened a week after the first phase begins.

Israeli forces would be able to stay near the Gaza-Egypt border in the Philadelphi Corridor temporarily, but will have to withdraw completely by the 50th day after the deal comes into effect.

The subsequent two stages would be negotiated once the first stage of the ceasefire has started – meaning sustained peace is still pretty precarious.

It’s thought Hamas may agree to release the remaining living captives and Israel would free further Palestinian prisoners while also completely withdrawing from Gaza.

They have been agreed to in principle and mediators in Egypt, Qatar and the US promised Hamas the subsequent stages would be agreed to before stage 1′s six weeks is up.

However, Israel has refused to offer a written guarantee that it would not resume its attacks after the first phase, when the Hamas captives are returned.

The far-right members of Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet could also refuse to any such further agreements, as they have previously called for the PM to push his troops forward in Gaza until Hamas are fully defeated.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a news conference in Jerusalem, Sept. 2, 2024.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a news conference in Jerusalem, Sept. 2, 2024.

via Associated Press

This is yet to be hashed out, but will most likely see all the remaining bodies of the Hamas hostages who died in captivity returned.

A three to five year reconstruction plan for Gaza may also be on the cards, overseen by international authorities.

It remains unclear exactly who would rule Gaza after the ceasefire as it is currently under Hamas’ control.

The US want to reform the Palestinian Authority – which is in control in the West Bank – to take over.

Top US diplomat Antony Blinken said Arab states should provide security in the short term, although many such countries may only agree if there is a scheme for Palestinian statehood outlined.

Israel is opposed to Palestinian statehood, but is yet to offer an alternative.

Who put forward the final plan?

The US, Qatar and Egypt developed the plan and presented it to both Israel and Hamas.

Envoys for both Joe Biden and Donald Trump have tried to take credit for any success, although it was the outgoing Democrat president who first outlined the plan eight months ago.

In a press conference on Wednesday, he said: “The result [is] not only of the extreme pressure Hamas has been under and the changed regional equation after a ceasefire in Lebanon and the weakening of Iran – but also of dogged and painstaking American diplomacy.”

But Biden also gave his successor a nod of recognition during his speech, acknowledging that Trump pressured both parties earlier this month and demanded the release of hostages before the president’s inauguration.

The president-elect posted on social media that the deal “could have only happened as a result of our historic victory in November”.

Netanyahu thanked them both, while Hamas’ chief negotiator Khalil al-Hayya said the deal was a “milestone in the conflict with the enemy” – although he warned the Palestinians “will not forget, and we will not forgive”.

Why did they reach an agreement now?

US secretary of state Anthony Blinken said the deal is similar to the one put forward last May but it’s thought the upcoming change in the White House was the biggest driver.

Trump’s inauguration (January 20) has applied pressure to the talks – and it’s thought Benjamin Netanyahu was hoping to seal the deal as a welcome present for the president-elect’s return.

According to the Israeli media, Trump’s envoy told the Israeli PM over the weekend that a peace deal had to happen.

Representatives from Israel and Hamas then started to conduct indirect talks in the same building for the first time.

Blinken also pointed to regional changes, saying in a press conference on Tuesday: “Hamas has been decimated. Iran is on its back foot.”

He said Hezbollah is also a “shadow of its former self” and pointed out that the Assad regime in Syria had also fallen.

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