The Pope's strong appeal to those responsible for the war: "Ceasefire!"

At the Angelus, pronounced from St. Peter's Square, Pope Leo made a strong appeal for the cessation of hostilities in the Middle East and for the crisis in Lebanon.

"I appeal to those responsible for this conflict: ceasefire! Let dialogue paths reopen; violence can never lead to the justice, stability, and peace that people are waiting for," declared the Pontiff.

In his address, Leo urged the faithful to live a "Christianity “with open eyes”. Faith is not a blind act, an abdication of reason, a settling into some religious certainty that makes us turn our gaze away from the world."

"On the contrary – he explains – faith helps us to look “from Jesus' perspective,” with his eyes: it is a participation in his way of seeing" and, therefore, asks us to “open our eyes”, as He did, especially to the sufferings of others and the wounds of the world.

The Pope then recalled a widespread misunderstanding that has persisted through the centuries: "It is striking – observes Leo – that over the centuries the opinion has spread, still present today, that faith would be a kind of “leap into the dark”, a renunciation of thought, so that having faith would mean believing “blindly.”"

From here comes the final exhortation: "Today, in particular – was the warning of the Pontiff – in the face of the many questions of the human heart and the dramatic situations of injustice, violence, and suffering that mark our time, there is a need for a vigilant, attentive, and prophetic faith, that opens the eyes to the darkness of the world and brings the light of the Gospel through a commitment to peace, justice, and solidarity."