Pope Leo XIV Urges World Leaders to Choose Peace in Easter Address

Pope Leo XIV stood before thousands of faithful in St. Peter's Square on Easter Sunday, April 5, 2026, and issued a direct call for peace. "Choose peace," he said, urging world leaders to lay down weapons and pursue dialogue.

The address was his first Easter message as pontiff. It came at a tense moment. Just days earlier, President Donald Trump had posted a message on Truth Social warning that "a whole civilization will die tonight" before announcing a two-week ceasefire in the ongoing war with Iran. Faith leaders across traditions responded with alarm.

Leo notably avoided naming specific countries or conflicts in his address, a departure from past papal practice. Previous popes had used Easter addresses to survey global crises by name. Critics, including theologian Albert Mohler, said the message lacked moral clarity.

Palestinian Christian communities also raised concerns ahead of the address. With Orthodox Easter approaching on April 12, Palestinian Christians said Israel's control over Jerusalem's sacred sites and restrictions on West Bank movement were limiting their ability to observe the holiday.

The ceasefire announcement came just hours before Leo's address. Religious leaders said the timing underscored the urgency of the moment. "We cannot stay silent when lives are at stake," said one interfaith leader quoted by Religion News Service.

Leo's message emphasized the human responsibility to care for creation, drawing on Pope Francis's encyclical Laudato si. He described the world as a garden that humans are called to cultivate and protect.

The address was broadcast live across Vatican News platforms and drew wide coverage from Catholic and secular media alike.