Pope Leo XIV holds first ‘Regina Caeli’ prayer at Vatican

Pope Leo XIV held his first “Regina Caeli” prayer at St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican on Sunday.

The newly elected holy father delivered the message just hours after visiting the tomb of his predecessor, Pope Francis.

“I wanted so much to come here in these first days of the new Ministry that the Church has given me, to carry forward this mission as Successor of Peter,” the pope said.

He also delivered a message to young Catholics regarding vocations, saying, “Do not be afraid! Welcome the Church’s invitation and that of Christ the Lord!”

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“May the Virgin Mary, whose entire life was a response to the Lord’s call, always accompany us in following Jesus,” he said.

Pope Leo also appealed for “no more war” during his address to those gathered in St. Peter’s Square. He also called for an “authentic and lasting” peace in Ukraine as well as a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of all hostages being held by Hamas.

The pope went on to say he was grateful for the ceasefire declared between India and Pakistan, adding that he is praying for God to grant the world the “miracle of peace.”

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“No more war!” the pope said, repeating a frequent call of the late Pope Francis and noting the recent 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, which killed some 60 million people.

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In his first official remarks as pope on Saturday, Leo delivered a powerful message to the College of Cardinals, warning that artificial intelligence (AI) presents serious new risks to human dignity. He called on the Catholic Church to step up and respond to these challenges with moral clarity and bold action.

A former missionary and head of the Dicastery for Bishops, Pope Leo, born Robert Francis Prevost, speaks English, Spanish and Italian and was widely seen as a unifying choice after the death of Pope Francis. His decision to take the name “Leo” connects his mission with Pope Leo XIII’s focus on social justice.

Reuters contributed to this report.