He dad Leo XIV presided over this Easter Sunday his first blessing Urbi et Orbi in St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican, before more than 50 thousand faithful, with a call for peace without references to specific conflicts.
The pontiff, whose secular name is Robert Prevostopted for a global approach in his Easter message, urging humanity not to fall into indifference in the face of evil, hatred and war, in contrast to the tradition of mentioning hotspots of international tension.
Chosen in May 2025, Leo XIV completes its first Holy Week as pope with participation in all the rites, something that did not happen in recent years due to the state of health of his predecessor, Pope Francis.
What is Urbi et Orbi and what was its message?
Hours before, Leo XIV celebrated the mass of Easter Sunday in a square decorated with floral arrangements, where he appealed to hope in the face of conflicts and questioned the “idolatry of profit” that affects the planet’s resources.
The blessing Urbi et Orbi —a Latin expression that means “to the city and the world”— is one of the pontiff’s most solemn messages and is reserved for special occasions such as Easter, Christmas and the election of a new pope. It is pronounced from the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica and has global reach for the Catholic Church.
Pope Leo’s Easter message:
“Let those who have weapons lay them down! Let those who have the power to unleash wars choose peace! Not a peace imposed by force, but through dialogue! Not with the desire to dominate others, but to encounter them!” pic.twitter.com/L4ohXpvzp7
—Vatican News (@VaticanNews) April 5, 2026
In his Easter message, Leo XIV implored God to grant peace to a world “ravaged by wars and marked by hatred and indifference.” In addition, he called for “conversion” towards peace and warned about the risk of indifference in the face of the death of thousands of people.
As part of this message, the pontiff called on the faithful to participate in a prayer vigil for peace the next April 11 at Vatican Basilica.
Holy Week marked by calls for peace
The call for peace has been constant during the Easter weekincluding the Via Crucis of the Coliseum and the Easter Vigil, where the pontiff avoided mentioning specific war scenarios, but warned about war, abuses of power and injustice.
At the end of the liturgical acts, he toured the St. Peter’s Square and the Via de la Conciliación in the popemobile, where he greeted thousands of pilgrims and blessed children present at the celebration.
During the day, he also remembered the Argentine pontiff, who made his last public appearance at Easter the previous year.