Pope Leo XIV on Sunday called for a united Church against the modern world's hatred and an economic model that "marginalizes" the poor and "exploits" the Earth, during the homily at the inaugural Mass of his pontificate.
"Brothers and sisters, I would like this to be our first great desire: a united Church, a sign of unity and communion, which becomes a leaven for a reconciled world," he stated.
Before more than 150 delegations from countries around the world and from other religions, as well as thousands of faithful gathered at St. Peter's Square, the Pope called on the Church to extend a hand to a world marked by conflict and violence.
"In our time, we still see too much discord, too many wounds caused by hatred, violence, prejudice, fear of those who are different, and by an economic paradigm that exploits the Earth's resources and marginalizes the poorest," Leo XIV lamented.
"We want to be, within this mass, a small leaven of unity, communion, and fraternity. We want to say to the world, with humility and joy: Look to Christ! Come to Him! Embrace His Word, which brings light and comfort!" he added.
In his homily, he called on the Church to overcome its divisions and to build bridges with other religions and branches of Christianity, serving as a bastion of "communion and fraternity."
"Look to Christ! Come to Him! Embrace His Word, which enlightens and comforts! Listen to His message of love to form His one family: in the one Christ, we are one. This is the path we must walk together —united among ourselves, but also with our sister Christian Churches, with those who follow other religious paths, with those who nurture the longing to seek God, with all women and men of good will," he said.
Pope Leo XIV affirmed that all this is "to build a new world where peace reigns," prompting applause from the square.