Pope Leo XIV has appealed for “never again war” in what he described as “today’s dramatic context of a third world war fought piecemeal”.
In his first Regina Caeli address, the Queen of Heaven prayer recited by Catholics instead of the Angelus between Easter and Ascension Day, he referred to “the immense tragedy of the second World War”, which ended 80 years ago on May 8th, “after causing 60 million deaths”.
He went on to call for a “true, just and lasting peace as soon as possible” in Ukraine and pleaded that “all prisoners be freed, and may the children be returned to their families”.
The pope also said he was “deeply pained by what is happening” in Gaza and said fighting there should “cease immediately” to allow humanitarian aid to “be provided to the exhausted civilian population, and may all hostages be released”.
‘Am I too old to wear this?’: It’s a question I never thought I’d ask but here I am
This photo strips the camogie skorts controversy back to its absurd essence
‘Constrained’ water supply jeopardises new Dublin suburb with 6,000 planned homes
Death of Garda Kevin Flatley: Drew Harris calls for societal ‘reset’ on road safety
He welcomed the ceasefire between India and Pakistan, but asked “how many other conflicts are there in the world?”.
The pope’s sober words were a contrast to the razzmatazz in the Vatican before he appeared on the balcony at St Peter’s Basilica at noon.
The mood seemed more like a gathering for a Regina Céilí rather than Regina Caeli, as marching bands from more than 90 countries, in Rome for the Catholic Church‘s jubilee, whooped it up among the tens of thousands gathered in St Peter’s Square.
There, representing Co Cork, were Patrick O’Regan from Charleville, his daughter Susan O’Mahony and her son Liam, who live in Newtownshandrum.
“I’ll be 80 in November. She brought me over for my birthday,” said Patrick.
“He said it was his dream to come to Rome,” explained Susan, “and he’s [Liam] turning 18. So I took the two of them for their birthdays.”
She said it was coincidence that they were in Rome at this time “but it has turned out brilliantly”.
Rosa Valiente, from the Chiclayo diocese in Peru, where Pope Leo had been bishop, said she was “so happy“ to be there as she danced wrapped in a Peruvian flag.
She said she knew the pope, who has dual US-Peruvian citizenship, from his time in Chiclayo, recalling him as “a humble, simple and very welcoming man”.
“We’re very happy and very proud to have him as pope. We have, again, a Latino pope,” she said.
Lorraine Karofilou, who lives in Greece, said she and her sister Gillian, who lives in England, were “actually on a cruise” that happened to coincide with the pope’s election.
“We’re not Catholic but, still, it’s a moment of history,” she said. “I just phoned a Catholic friend in England and I said `you’ll never guess where I’m standing.’ She’s going crazy.”
As for the new pope, she added: “I know this may sound silly, but I think he has a beautiful face, a kind face, kind eyes, so I think he’s going to be a good pope.”
Pierre-Luc, who works in Switzerland but was born in Normandy, was keen to speak about the pope’s ancestry.
“His grandmother was born in Le Havre and his great-grandparents were married 10km from where I’m from,” he said.
Pierre said he missed the conclave “but I shook the pope’s hand yesterday” in St Mary Major when Pope Leo visited the tomb of Pope Francis.
“It was unbelievable,” he added.
Tobias Wallbrecher, from the German/Italian Associazione Ricordiamo Insieme (Let’s Remember Together) group, was standing beside large Israeli and Vatican flags stitched together.
“We feel that the Catholic Church and Israel have a long history and it’s a very painful history,” he said.
Israel is, he added, in a “desperate situation” at present and is “fighting for its survival”. He said Hamas had been given a chance to surrender, “and they didn’t”.
Wallbrecher said Germans today “are not personally guilty” where the Jewish people were concerned.
“We didn’t harm anybody, but we have a certain responsibility not to let the question die.”
