St. Peter’s Square, crowded with faithful from all over the world, was the setting for a historic moment: Pope Leo XIV’s first Urbi et Orbi blessing on the solemnity of Easter. From the central balcony of the Vatican basilica, the Pontiff addressed his message to the city of Rome and the entire world, in a celebration marked by Paschal hope and concern for global peace.
The Pope opened his address with the essential announcement of the Christian faith —Christ has risen—, recalling that Easter is the foundation upon which the life of the Church rests. He presented the resurrection as a decisive victory: life over death, light over darkness, and love over hatred.
The Power of Christ: Love that Generates Peace
Leo XIV focused his message on how Christ conquered: not through violence, but through faithful love, given to the extreme. He explained that the power of the resurrection is the same power of God, a love that creates, forgives, and redeems.
With deeply evangelical imagery, he evoked the logic of the grain of wheat that dies to bear fruit and that of the heart which, wounded, renounces vengeance and opts for forgiveness. This, he stressed, is the true force that can transform human relationships and build peace at all levels: among individuals, families, peoples, and nations.
A Direct Appeal Against War and Indifference
From the central loggia, the Pontiff raised a clear plea to God to grant peace to a world “ravaged by wars and marked by hatred and indifference”. In a direct tone, he asked those responsible for conflicts to lay down their arms and choose the path of dialogue.
He also warned of the danger of becoming accustomed to violence and falling into increasing indifference to human suffering, especially in the face of the deaths of thousands of people in various conflict zones. In response, he proposed a profound conversion to the peace of Christ, which is not limited to silencing weapons, but transforms the heart.
In this context, he announced a concrete initiative: he invited all the faithful to participate in a prayer vigil for peace to be held in St. Peter’s Basilica on Saturday, April 11.
The Resurrection, Principle of a New Humanity
The Pope presented Easter as the beginning of a renewed humanity, called to live in justice, freedom, and peace. He noted that, before the empty tomb, each person stands before a decision: to open themselves to hope or to enclose themselves in fear and denial.
Recalling the teaching of Saint Augustine, he reminded that the Christian path involves loving the resurrection even amidst the fear of death, because in Christ evil has been definitively overcome.
The Urbi et Orbi Blessing and Plenary Indulgence
After the Paschal message, Cardinal Protodeacon Dominique Mamberti announced the granting of a plenary indulgence to all the faithful present in the square and to those following the celebration through the media.
The Urbi et Orbi blessing, one of the most solemn of the Petrine ministry, implores God’s mercy, the forgiveness of sins, and perseverance in good. In it, the Pope entrusts all humanity to the Lord, especially “all hearts that suffer and await the true peace that only He can give.”
Before concluding, Leo XIV invited the faithful to unite in prayer for peace and announced a vigil in St. Peter’s Basilica. He also delivered his Paschal greeting in various languages, emphasizing the universality of the Church.
His message left a clear line of magisterium: peace is born from a heart transformed by the risen Christ. It is not a balance of forces, but a gift that is received and built.
In this first Urbi et Orbi blessing, Leo XIV has set the tone for his pontificate: a Church that firmly proclaims Christ’s victory and, from that certainty, calls the world to conversion, dialogue, and peace. Because, as he reminded us with one of those first words he addressed to us as Pope:
“Evil does not have the last word, because it has been overcome by the Risen One.”
The Pope’s Universal Greeting in Ten Languages
As is tradition on great solemnities, Leo XIV wished to emphasize the universality of the Church by delivering his Paschal greeting in ten languages: Italian, French, English, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Polish, Arabic, Chinese, and Latin.
In this last language, evoking the liturgical tradition of the Church, he proclaimed the joy of the resurrection with words that resonated powerfully in the square: a wish that the feast of the Risen Lord fill everyone with joy and that this joy be shared with the entire world.
An Easter that Marks the Beginning of His Pontificate
This first Urbi et Orbi blessing by Leo XIV has not only been a liturgical act but also a declaration of intent. His message has drawn a clear line: the Church is called to proclaim Christ’s victory with conviction and, from that, to work for peace, dialogue, and conversion of heart.
In a world wounded by conflicts and divisions, the new Pope has sought to place the transformative power of the Gospel at the center: a love that does not impose, but gives itself; that does not dominate, but reconciles; that does not destroy, but gives life.
