VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo XIV on Sunday renewed appeals for peace in Ukraine, Lebanon, and Sudan, calling on the international community not to look away from the suffering caused by war and insisting that civilians must be shielded from its devastation.
Speaking before and after the Regina Caeli on Divine Mercy Sunday, the pope appealed for an end to fighting and urged those involved in conflicts to pursue peaceful solutions without delay.
"The principle of humanity, inscribed in the conscience of every person and recognized in international law, entails the moral obligation to protect the civilian population from the atrocious effects of war," Leo said. "I appeal to the parties in conflict to cease fire and to seek with urgency a peaceful solution."
Marking Easter as celebrated by the Orthodox Churches, the pope said he was accompanying those communities with more intense prayer "for all who suffer because of war, especially for the beloved Ukrainian people."
He added: "May the light of Christ bring comfort to afflicted hearts and strengthen the hope of peace. May the attention of the international community not fail toward the drama of this war."
Leo also expressed closeness to Lebanon, saying: "To the beloved Lebanese people too I am more than ever close in these days of sorrow, fear, and invincible hope in God."
Turning to Sudan, the pope noted that Wednesday marks three years since the start of the bloody conflict there and lamented the suffering of the Sudanese people, whom he described as innocent victims of an inhuman tragedy.
"I renew my heartfelt appeal to the warring parties to silence the weapons and begin, without preconditions, a sincere dialogue aimed at ending this fratricidal war as soon as possible," he said.
Before the Marian prayer, Leo reflected on the Gospel for the Second Sunday of Easter, also known as Divine Mercy Sunday, and said faith must be nourished and sustained through the Church's weekly Eucharistic gathering.
"Sunday Eucharist is indispensable for Christian life," the pope said.
Recalling the witness of the Martyrs of Abitene ahead of his departure for Africa, he said the early African martyrs had left the Church "a beautiful testimony" when, faced with the offer of saving their lives if they renounced celebrating the Eucharist, they answered that they could not live without celebrating the Lord's Day.
"It is there that our faith is nourished and grows," he said.
Leo said that, like St. Thomas, Christians today can find belief difficult, but that the Church invites the faithful every Sunday, the "eighth day," to gather and celebrate the Eucharist together, as the first disciples did.
"In a world that has such great need of peace, this commits us more than ever to be assiduous and faithful in our eucharistic encounter with the Risen One, so that we may set out again from it as witnesses of charity and bearers of reconciliation," he said.
The pope also said that "it is through the Eucharist that our hands too become 'hands of the Risen One,' witnesses of his presence, his mercy, his peace."
At the end of the Regina Caeli, Leo greeted pilgrims and asked for prayers ahead of his 10-day apostolic journey beginning Monday to Algeria, Cameroon, Angola, and Equatorial Guinea.
This story was originally published by ACI Stampa, EWTN News' Italian-language partner agency. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
