ROME 

Pope Leo renewed his “heartfelt appeal” to continue working to restore peace across the world during his first official visit to Rome’s Quirinale Palace, where he met for the third time Italian President Sergio Mattarella.

The American pontiff, who made peace one of the key topics of his pontificate, recalled the importance of multilateralism in conflicts’ resolution and the shared commitment by the Italian state and the Holy See in that effort.

“This is a very important value. The complex challenges of our time make it more necessary than ever to seek and adopt shared solutions,” Leo said in his speech delivered in front of Mattarella and an audience of Vatican and Italian authorities, including Premier Giorgia Meloni.

“It is essential to implement these dynamics and processes, recalling their original objectives, aimed primarily at resolving conflicts and fostering development promoting transparent language and avoiding ambiguities that can cause divisions,” the pope said.

In his speech, Mattarella made open references to the Middle East and the Russia-Ukraine conflicts, addressing the challenges that still lie ahead.

“Today there is a spark of hope, as the pope remarked, which must be supported with conviction,” Mattarella said, commenting on the Gaza ceasefire. “The release of the hostages who remain alive is of great value and involves all who care about civility and human dignity, turning their thoughts to those who died in that cruel condition of captivity."

"The ceasefire in Gaza allows us to begin providing relief to that civilian population, so severely affected by brutal suffering,” the Italian president added. “We hope that the ongoing negotiations on the subsequent stages will lead, as soon as possible, to a definitive end to hostilities and violence in the Strip," he added.

Mattarella also reiterated that reviving the two-state solution is the only condition for lasting peace and security.

The Italian president expressed concern about the current weakening of mechanisms that build trust between states. “In this scenario, the logic of the strongest, the temptation to resort to arms to solve a dispute, sometimes seems to prevail," he warned.

"The dignity and rights of individuals, groups, and peoples are often trampled upon," Mattarella said, recalling Russian attacks in Ukraine that “continue to claim countless civilian victims, sowing death and destruction and casting a disturbing shadow of insecurity over the entire European continent.”