Pope Leo XIV renewed his call for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine, marking four years since the start of the war and warning that “peace cannot be postponed.”
Speaking to pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square for his weekly Angelus on the first Sunday of Lent, the Pope said his “heartfelt thoughts remain focused on the tragic situation unfolding before the eyes of the whole world.”
“So many victims, so many lives and families shattered, such immense destruction, such unspeakable suffering!” he said. “Every war is truly a wound inflicted upon the entire human family.”
Pope Leo urged that “the weapons fall silent” and called for bombings to cease and dialogue to be strengthened “to pave the way toward peace.”
“Peace cannot be postponed,” he said. “It is an urgent necessity that must find a home in our hearts and be translated into responsible decisions.”
He invited the faithful to pray “for the embattled people of Ukraine and for all those who suffer due to this war and every conflict in the world, that the long-awaited gift of peace may shine upon our days.”
A ‘luminous path’ through the desert
Earlier in his address, the Pope reflected on the Gospel account of Jesus’ 40 days in the desert, describing Lent as a “luminous path” marked by prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.
After fasting, Jesus “feels the weight of his humanity: physically, through hunger, and morally, through the devil’s temptations,” he said. “In this, he experiences the same struggle we all face on our journey.”
By resisting temptation, Pope Leo said, Christ shows believers that they too can overcome “the devil’s deception and snares.”
Lent, he said, is an opportunity to allow God “to cleanse the stains and heal the wounds of sin,” so that life may “blossom in beauty until it attains the fullness of love — the only source of true happiness.”
Warning against false satisfactions
The Pope cautioned that the Lenten journey is demanding and that believers can be drawn toward “easier paths to satisfaction, such as wealth, fame and power” — temptations he noted Jesus himself faced in the desert.
“These temptations are merely poor substitutes for the joy for which we were created,” he said. “Ultimately, they leave us dissatisfied, restless and empty.”
Quoting Paul VI, Pope Leo said penance “far from impoverishing our humanity — enriches, purifies and strengthens it,” directing believers toward love and surrender to God.
While penance reveals human limitations, he said, it also grants strength “to live, with God’s help, in deeper communion with him and with one another.”
Turn off phones
In practical terms, Pope Leo singled out modern distractions, urging the faithful to step back from screens during the Lenten season.
“Let us create space for silence by turning off televisions, radios and cell phones for a while,” he said. “Let us meditate on the Word of God, approach the Sacraments, and listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit who speaks to us in our heart.”
Pope Leo tied the call for digital silence to renewed attention to others.
“Let us also listen to one another — in our families, workplaces and communities,” the Pope said. “Let us dedicate time to those who are alone, especially the elderly, the poor and the sick.”
Quoting Augustine of Hippo, he said prayer offered “in humility and charity, by fasting and giving, by restraining ourselves and pardoning” will “reach heaven and give us peace.”