July 23, 2026
"Today, the temptation to gain popularity by fanning the flames of polarisation seems to have grown rather than diminished,” Pope Leo says
He criticises the Iran war, calling it “madness of war”
He also mentions the humanitarian situation in Gaza, saying people in the Palestinian enclave are being "reduced to starvation"
Pope Leo XIV, to be installed as the new Catholic leader, stressed the Church's peacemaking efforts in his first sermons
Leo will be officially installed as the new leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Roman Catholics at a Mass in St Peter's Square
He calls for an "authentic and lasting peace" in Ukraine, a ceasefire in Gaza, and the release of all Israeli hostages held by militant group Hamas
Leo says the Church must now take the lead in facing newer threats to workers, such as artificial intelligence
Despite the warm embrace of his countrymen and women, the deeply divided US Catholic Church may ultimately pose some of the most serious challenges for the new pope
