“Peace be with all of you!”
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From his very first words, Pope Leo XIV made it clear—his papacy would be about peace.
Ten days later, during his Mass of Inauguration, Pope Leo XIV again called the world to unity. Speaking before 200,000 faithful and international leaders—including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance, and Russia’s ambassador to the Holy See—he did not hesitate to speak the name of Jesus and to name the cure for war and conflict which is – love:
“Brothers and sisters, this is the hour for love!”
He then prayed for the suffering in Gaza, Myanmar, and war-torn Ukraine awaits negotiations for a just and lasting peace.
Ahead of the Mass, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio held meetings with Cardinal Pietro Parolin and Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, the Vatican’s envoy to Ukraine. Rubio praised the Holy See’s efforts on humanitarian corridors, prisoner exchanges, and the return of Ukrainian children—affirming, in his words, “continued collaboration under Pope Leo XIV.”
After the Mass, Pope Leo met privately with President Zelenskyy. Ukraine’s leadership now welcomed the Vatican’s offer to host peace talks—marking a shift from Zelenskyy’s earlier stance that Ukraine needed “a just peace, not mediators.”
The next day, on May 19, Vice President Vance presented Pope Leo with a letter from President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania—personally inviting the Pontiff to the White House. That same day, Trump posted on Truth Social after a call with President Putin, writing:
“The Vatican, as represented by the Pope, has stated that it would be very interested in hosting the negotiations. Let the process begin!”
All sides initially signalled interest in using the Vatican as a venue for peace talks. However, Russia later withdrew, citing travel constraints—since Vatican City is surrounded by NATO territory.
The Holy See quickly reached out to Russia. On June 4, the Vatican released an rare public summary of a phone call between Pope Leo and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Pope urged Putin to make a gesture in favour of peace and discussed humanitarian issues, including prisoner exchanges and aid corridors.
In just under two months, Pope Leo XIV has catalysed and accelerated the efforts of Pope Francis and the Vatican’s longstanding diplomacy. The Holy See continues to serve as a neutral meeting ground, open to all parties seeking dialogue. To ensure continuity, Pope Leo confirmed key leaders: Cardinal Parolin remains Secretary of State, and Cardinal Zuppi continues as papal envoy for peace.
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Adapted by Jacob Stein
Produced by Alexey Gotovosky; Camera by Alberto Basile; Special thanks & Credits: Vatican Media
