Pope Leo XIV calls for peace in Ukraine and Gaza in symbolically rich blessing on Mother’s Day​on May 11, 2025 at 2:15 pm

Pope Leo XIV called for a genuine and just peace in Ukraine and an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, in his first Sunday noon blessing as pontiff that featured some symbolic gestures suggesting a message of unity in a polarized Catholic Church.

​Pope Leo XIV called for a genuine and just peace in Ukraine and an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, in his first Sunday noon blessing as pontiff that featured some symbolic gestures suggesting a message of unity in a polarized Catholic Church.   

Pope Leo XIV appears at the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica for his first Sunday blessing after his election, in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican, Sunday, May 11, 2025.(AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia) (Gregorio Borgia/The Associated Press)