French President Emmanuel Macron and Pope Leo XIV discuss the pursuit of enduring peace in Ukraine and Gaza during their initial phone conversation.
Fresh Take:
Emmanuel Macron, president of France, had a chat with Pope Leo XIV, the new guy on the Catholic Church throne, and discussed ways to bring peace to Ukraine and Gaza in their first conversation.
"We touched on the need to put an end to the bloody chaos that's tearing these regions apart, particularly focusing on a mature and lasting peace in Ukraine and Gaza," Macron revealed on Twitter.
Now, you might wonder who the heck is this Pope Leo XIV character? Born in Chicago, Illinois in 1955, he took the gig as the head of the Vatican in 2025, the first Yankee to snag the role. Before joining the big leagues, he was a bigwig in the Dicastery for Bishops and had stints in various Vatican departments focused on evangelization, doctrine, and Eastern Churches[1][2][4].
So far, there's no specific record of Pope Leo XIV taking any direct actions or making statements concerning peace in Ukraine or Gaza. However, in his debut public speech as pope, he hammered home the importance of peace, unity, and connecting with those suffering, which suggests a commitment towards global harmony and aid to the downtrodden[3]. Given the Vatican's storied role in brokering peace and dialogue, it's safe to assume that Pope Leo XIV will keep those efforts rolling, although no concrete initiatives related directly to Ukraine or Gaza have surfaced as of May 2025.
French Prime Minister François Bayrou will attend Pope Leo's inaugural mass in Rome on Sunday morning, but Macron is reportedly a no-show.
(Revised based on FRANCE 24 with AFP and Additional Research)
"Given the discussing of ending conflict in Ukraine and Gaza during Emmanuel Macron's conversation with Pope Leo XIV and the Vatican's historical role in peacemaking, it might be anticipated that Pope Leo XIV will engage in efforts to bring peace to these regions. However, as of May 2025, no specific actions or statements related to Ukrainian and Gazan conflicts have been made by the Pope."
"As the newly elected leader of the Catholic Church, Pope Leo XIV emphasized the importance of peace, unity, and aid to the suffering, which could indicate his involvement in war-and-conflicts, particularly those in Ukraine and Gaza, given the focus of Macron's discussion with him."
