Pope Leo pledges to make 'every effort' for peace to prevail

By Beyza Binnur Donmez

GENEVA (AA)— Pope Leo XIV on Wednesday vowed to make "every effort" to achieve global peace, underlining the Vatican's readiness to "bring enemies together, face-to-face, to talk to one another."

Addressing the Jubilee of Eastern Churches, Leo said: "The Holy See is always ready to help bring enemies together, face-to-face, to talk to one another, so that peoples everywhere may once more find hope and recover the dignity they deserve, the dignity of peace."

"War is never inevitable. Weapons can and must be silenced, for they do not resolve problems but only increase them," the pontiff said. "Those who make history are the peacemakers, not those who sow seeds of suffering."

Leo chose to be vocal about peace around the world during his early days as pope, addressing issues, including Gaza and Ukraine.

Succeeding the late Pope Francis, American Cardinal Robert Prevost was elected the new pope last Thursday, taking the name Leo XIV—the first American-born pontiff in the history of the Catholic Church.