In his first Sunday address as pontiff, Pope Leo XIV delivered a message of peace to Catholic faithful in Rome.
Speaking from the same balcony where he was introduced to the world as the new pope, Leo addressed tens of thousands in St. Peter’s square on Sunday, offering words of hope and giving his first indications of what his focus will be as his tenure begins.
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WATCH HEREHe called for an end to the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, as well as the return of hostages still being held by Hamas in the ongoing war in Gaza.
“May whatever is possible be done to reach a lasting peace as quick as possible,” he said. “May the prisoners be freed, may children return to their families. I am deeply hurt by what’s happening in the Gaza strip. May a cease fire come into effect.”
John Prevost, the pope’s brother who still lives in Chicago’s suburbs, was there in Rome for the address to the public, making the trip to the Vatican shortly after it was announced that his brother would be the first-ever American to lead the Catholic Church.
“The child is there, the pride is there, the wow factor is there,” he said. “Who could have dreamt this a possibility? Not me!”
Prevost said he was able to visit his brother over the weekend, saying that the pope is handling his new responsibilities well.
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“The nervous factor is gone. He knows what he wants to say, what he needs to say, and he’s going to do what he has to do,” he said. “And I think the holy spirit is with him and the world is with him right now.”
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SIGN UP Meanwhile in Chicago, Catholics attended mass on Sunday with a sense of pride and even of shock, knowing that the new pope had walked the same stairs in many of the same churches that they found themselves worshiping in.
“It’s very humbling to know he was from Chicago,” Father Andy Matijevic of Holy Name Cathedral said. “I was baptized here, he was baptized here. It’s a very prideful day saying the pope is from Chicago.”
The week ahead will also be busy for the pope, as he will officially be inaugurated into his new office on Sunday, May 18 at 10 a.m. local time in Rome. During the intervening days, he will continue acclimating himself with his papal responsibilities, visiting with cardinals and holding a variety of meetings at the Vatican.
