Pope Leo calls for Ukraine peace and Gaza ceasefire in first Sunday address

Pope Leo XIV appealed for "no more war" as he gave his first Sunday message to crowds in St Peter's Square since his election as pontiff.

The new pope called for an "authentic and lasting peace" in Ukraine and a ceasefire in Gaza and release of all Israeli hostages.

Recalling the end of the Second World War, Leo quoted his predecessor Pope Francis as he denounced the number of ongoing conflicts as "a third world in pieces".

It is the first time the Pope has returned to the loggia, the central balcony of St Peter's Basilica, since he first appeared to the world following his election on Thursday.

The crowd, filled filled with marching bands in town for a special Jubilee weekend, erupted in cheers and music as the bells tolled.

Leo, who is the first American pope, also wished all mothers, "including those in heaven" a Happy Mother's Day, with the US among many countries celebrating the occasion on Sunday.

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