Pope Leo XIV has said there is a moral obligation to protect civilians from the horrific effects of war, renewing appeals for peace in Ukraine, Lebanon and Sudan after the recitation of the Regina Caeli in St Peter’s Square.

Speaking on Sunday 12 April, the Pope said: “The principle of humanity, inscribed in the conscience of every person and recognized in international law, entails a moral obligation to protect the civilian population from the horrific effects of war.”

He extended Easter greetings to the Eastern Churches celebrating according to the Julian calendar and said his thoughts were with those suffering because of war, especially “the dear people of Ukraine”. He prayed that the light of Christ might comfort afflicted hearts and strengthen hope for peace, while urging that the international community’s attention to the conflict should not weaken.

Turning to the Middle East, Pope Leo spoke of the “days of sorrow, fear” being endured by the people of Lebanon, while also acknowledging what he called their “unwavering hope in God”. He called on the parties in the conflict to declare a ceasefire and urgently seek a peaceful solution.

The Pope also recalled that Wednesday 15 April marks three years since the beginning of the conflict in Sudan, describing the suffering of the Sudanese people and referring to the innocent victims of what he called an inhuman tragedy. He renewed his appeal to the warring parties to lay down their arms and begin sincere dialogue without preconditions in order to bring the conflict to an end as soon as possible.

After greeting pilgrims gathered in the square, Pope Leo asked the faithful to accompany him with prayer for his apostolic journey, which begins on Monday 13 April and is due to include Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea.

The appeal continued a pattern visible in the Pope’s recent public interventions, in which he has repeatedly linked Easter hope with calls for peace, protection of civilians and renewed diplomatic effort in areas scarred by war.