Pope Leo XIV, the first American to head the global Catholic Church, pledged on Wednesday to make "every effort" for peace and offered the Vatican as a mediator in global conflicts, saying war was "never inevitable".

Pope Leo XIV has taken over the Vatican’s official social media handles. The Vatican posted a first Instagram post Tuesday repeating the first words Leo said to the world as pope: “Peace be with you all!

Pope Leo XIV offered to host or facilitate peace talks among countries at war, calling for world leaders to "meet, talk, negotiate” during an address to Eastern-rite Catholics at the Vatican today.