
Pope Leo XIV, during the Sant'Egidio meeting at the Colosseum in Rome, Italy, made an appeal to stop wars. He said that the world needs peace.
"Enough wars! The world thirsts for peace, it needs a true and strong era of reconciliation, which puts an end to the abuse of power, displays of force and indifference to justice. Enough wars, with their painful toll of death, destruction and exile!" he said at the ceremony at the Colosseum, along with leaders of other Christian faiths.
According to the head of the Vatican, prayer is a great force for reconciliation, while he called for religion not to be used for violence or hatred.
"Those who do not pray abuse religion, even to the point of killing. Not shouting words, not exalted behavior, not religious slogans used against God's creatures. We believe that prayer changes the history of peoples," he emphasized.
He urged that religions not become instruments of nationalism or populism. "Woe to those who try to drag God into wars," the Pope stressed./ANSA