Pope Leo XIV, the first American leader of the Catholic Church, previously known as Robert Francis Prevost, gave his first Sunday blessing as pope and called for peace in the Ukraine-Russia conflict and a ceasefire in Gaza.

Pope Leo XIV appealed to Russian President Vladimir Putin to make "a gesture that would favor peace" during a telephone conversation focusing on the war in Ukraine on Wednesday, the Vatican said. The American pontiff emphasized "the importance of dialogue to create positive contacts between the parties and seek solutions to the conflict,