Pope Leo XIV has called for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine and an immediate ceasefire in Gaza with the release of hostages and delivery of humanitarian aid.

On his first Sunday appearance as pope, Leo XIV made a passionate appeal for peace and an end to the armed conflicts in the world, especially in Ukraine and Gaza, and cried out, “Never again war!”

“Peace be with you,” were Pope Leo’s first words to the crowd. “My dear brothers and sisters, this is the first greeting of the risen Christ, the Good Shepherd who gave His life for God’s flock,” he said, praying that Christ’s peace would enter people’s hearts, their families and “the whole earth.”

Pope Leo XIV delivered his first Sunday noon blessing from the loggia at St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City, three days after the 69-year-old Chicago-born missionary made history as the first American elected to lead the Catholic Church.

The pontiff said he would face up to "the questions, concerns and challenges of today’s world" and, in a nod to conservatives, he promised to preserve "the rich heritage of the Christian faith," repeatedly calling for unity.