• Pope Leo XIV encourages peace and dialogue amidst global conflicts in his first Easter address.
• The pontiff highlights the need to combat indifference towards violence and suffering.
• He directly appeals to world leaders, including US President Donald Trump, to end wars.
• Pope Leo emphasizes Easter's message of hope against ongoing violence and injustice.
• His Easter celebrations take place under significant security restrictions affecting gatherings in Jerusalem.

Pope Leo XIV marked his first Easter as pontiff with a powerful call for peace during a Mass at St. Peter's Basilica, urging "those who have the power to unleash wars" to "choose peace" amidst ongoing global conflicts, particularly the US-Israeli war on Iran and Russia’s actions in Ukraine. The pope emphasized that "we are growing accustomed to violence, resigning ourselves to it, and becoming indifferent" to the thousands of deaths inflicted by such conflicts, according to South China Morning Post and Le Monde.

In his Easter vigil, the Pope cautioned against allowing oneself to become numb to war and pronounced a strong message of hope. He called for people to act against injustices, emphasizing that "let those who have weapons lay them down" and "let us abandon every desire for conflict, domination, and power," according to CBS News, Reuters, and BBC.

During his address, Pope Leo did not specify particular conflicts, breaking from tradition, yet he acknowledged the broader context of conflict and indifference faced globally. His remarks became particularly poignant as Christians in areas like Jerusalem faced restricted gatherings due to security issues linked to ongoing strife, which severely affected traditional Easter celebrations at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, according to Channel News Asia and South China Morning Post.

Furthermore, during his address from St. Peter's Square, which was adorned with flowers representing hope, Leo urged Catholics worldwide to engage in acts of reconciliation instead of being paralyzed by despair. He plans to hold a prayer vigil for peace on April 11 at the Vatican, according to Le Monde, Channel News Asia, and CBS News.