Pope Leo blesses the crowd during the Easter Mass as part of Holy Week celebrations, at St Peter's Square in the Vatican on April 5th 2026. Photograph: Alberto Pizzoli/ AFP via Getty ImagesPope Leo has celebrated his first Easter mass as pontiff with a call to lay down arms and seek peace to global conflicts through dialogue. Leo, the first US-born pope, emphasised Easter’s message of hope as a celebration of Jesus’s resurrection after being crucified, in the blessing and his homily. Pope Leo greeted the global faithful in 10 languages, including Arabic, Chinese and Latin, reviving a practice that Francis had let lapse. Leo greeted the global faithful in 10 languages, including Arabic, Chinese and Latin, reviving a practice that Francis had let lapse.

Source: The Irish Times April 05, 2026 14:53 UTC