Pope Leo delivers his first Easter Urbi et Orbi address

On Easter Sunday, Pope Leo delivered his first Urbi et Orbi blessing to thousands gathered in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican. The pontiff, who is the first U.S.-born leader of the Catholic Church, utilized the address to urge global leaders to abandon desires for power and conflict. During his speech, he called on those in positions of authority to lay down their weapons and choose peace. While he did not explicitly name any specific conflicts in his message, the Pope has recently been an outspoken critic of the war in Iran. In a private appeal on the preceding Tuesday, he reportedly urged U.S. President Donald Trump to find an off-ramp for the Iran conflict. The Pope expressed concern that the world is becoming indifferent to systemic violence. He also paid tribute to his predecessor, Pope Francis, who delivered his final Easter message last year prior to his death. The ceremony concluded with the Pope waving to the crowd from the balcony of the basilica, which was decorated with spring flowers.