Pope Leo XIV says the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, "the heartbreaking price of which is paid by children, the elderly, the sick," must end and food must be allowed in.

Pope Leo XIV called for Israel to lift its blockade on humanitarian aid into Gaza during his first General Audience.

Jewish leaders got front seats at Pope Leo XIV’s inauguration Mass

Cease fire, release all hostages, fully respect humanitarian law,' says new pontiff in weekly audience, echoing calls of his late predecessor

Since the Middle Ages, the Holy See has positioned itself as the preeminent mediator for international conflicts regardless of spiritual or temporal allegiances.

This new initiative invites the faithful to raise their voices in song alongside Pope Leo XIV, who has done so himself several times since his election.

Paola Ugaz, a Peruvian journalist who helped expose the abuse committed by leaders of the Sodalitium Christianae Vitae, gives Pope Leo XIV a stole made of alpaca wool, during the pope's meeting with members of the media May 12, 2025, in the Paul VI Audience Hall at the Vatican. (CNS photo/Vatican Media)

The first American pope took possession of the St. John Lateran Basilica, with an evening Mass attended by Roman priests and faithful.