Pope Leo XIV stepped out onto the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica to thunderous applause and an electric atmosphere, to deliver his first Sunday blessing and an address calling for peace in Ukraine and Gaza.

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.

Jumping straight into the geopolitical fray, the words of the U.S.-born pontiff are meant to single out Vladimir Putin — a notable difference with Pope Francis. The timing may also be just right to help his fellow American,