India, April 6 -- Pope Leo celebrated his first Easter Mass as pontiff with a call on Sunday to exercise hope against "the violence of war that kills and destroys," saying "we need this song of hope today" as conflicts spread around the world.

With the US-Israeli war on Iran in its second month and Russia's ongoing campaign in Ukraine, Leo has repeatedly called for a halt in hostilities.

In his Easter homily, the pope singled out those who wage war, abuse the weak and prioritise profits. Leo, the first US-born pope, addressed the faithful from an open-air altar in St Peter's Square flanked with white roses, while the steps leading down to the piazza where the faithful gathered were filled with spring perennials, symbolically resonating ...