During his first Easter message from the central loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica, Pope Leo XIV announced a  vigil of prayer for peace , to be held on Saturday,  April 11. The pontiff urged the faithful and the entire world to participate in this event, emphasizing the urgency of making heard the “cry for peace that springs from the heart.”

A call against indifference

Following Easter Sunday Mass, the Holy Father warned against the danger of humanity becoming accustomed to violence. “We resign ourselves to it and become indifferent,” he lamented, referring to the deaths of thousands of people and the deep-seated hatred left by armed conflicts.

In his speech, Leo XIV revived the concept of the  “globalization of indifference ,” a term coined by his predecessor Francis, to denounce the lack of attention to the social and economic consequences of wars.

Dialogue versus force

The Pope addressed a direct message to world leaders and those with decision-making power regarding conflicts: “Let those who have weapons in their hands lay them down! Let those who have the power to unleash wars choose peace!”

In this regard, the pontiff emphasized that true peace cannot be imposed by force or by the will to dominate one’s neighbor, but must be achieved exclusively through  dialogue  and encounter between the parties.

Live monitoring and conclusion

To facilitate the participation of the faithful worldwide, the prayer vigil on Saturday, April 11,  can be followed live via Exaudi’s Facebook Live .

With this announcement and the subsequent  Urbi et Orbi blessing  —delivered in ten languages ​​before a packed St. Peter’s Square—Leo XIV concluded his first Holy Week as pontiff. The event thus adds to a schedule marked by his active presence at all the liturgical rites of the Easter Triduum and his constant appeal to hope in the face of “partisan selfishness.”