ust days after officially becoming pope on May 8, Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost—now Pope Leo XIV—made headlines with a series of tweets addressing global conflict and promoting peace.
Though new to the role, Pope Leo is no stranger to public discourse, having previously sparred with the Trump administration. His new X (formerly Twitter) account quickly gained traction, reaching 18.6 million followers within days.
On May 14, his first tweet read:
“May peace be upon you all! This is the initial salutation delivered by the Risen Christ, the Good Shepherd.”
He expressed hope that this message would resonate worldwide.
In later tweets, he urged support for Eastern Christian traditions and condemned war as a choice—not a destiny.
“War is not an unavoidable fate… Weapons must and can be silenced,” he wrote, calling for dialogue over division.
His message of peace struck a chord, with many praising his timely and compassionate voice.