Pope Leo XIV Celebrates First Easter Vigil, Calls for Harmony and Peace in a World Torn by War

Pope Leo XIV led the world's Christians into Easter at a Saturday night (Apr 4) vigil Mass in St Peter's Basilica, urging people not to feel numbed by the scope of conflicts raging across the world and to work for peace.

Pope Leo, who has emerged as an outspoken critic of the Iran war, said that mistrust and fear have been allowed to "sever the bonds between us through war, injustice and the isolation of peoples and nations".

"Let us not allow ourselves to be paralysed!" the first US pope exhorted in a service for the holiest night in the Christian calendar, when the Bible says Jesus rose from the dead.

Pope Leo did not mention any specific conflicts during the service. 

Pope Leo, who is known for choosing his words carefully, has been ramping up his criticism of the Iran war in recent weeks. The pope said last Sunday that God rejects the prayers of leaders who start wars and have "hands full of blood".

He made a direct appeal to US President Donald Trump on Tuesday, urging the president to find an "off-ramp" to end the war.

Source - Reuters