LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: Good evening.

I'm Laura Barron-Lopez.

John Yang is away.

Pope Leo XIV delivered his first Sunday noon blessing as pontiff, calling for unity in a polarized church and appealing to the world's major powers for peace.

He delivered his message to an estimated 100,000 people from the loggia of St. Peter's Basilica, the same balcony where he was introduced as the new leader of the Roman Catholic Church.

The pontiff welcomed the uneasy truce between India and Pakistan.

He also called for an end to the violence in Ukraine and Gaza.

POPE LEO XIV, Leader of Roman Catholic Curch (through translator): I carry in my heart the sufferings of the beloved Ukrainian people.

Let every effort be made to achieve as soon as possible an authentic, just and lasting peace.

I am deeply saddened by what is happening in the Gaza Strip.

Let the fire cease immediately, let humanitarian aid be provided to the exhausted civilian population, and may all hostages be freed.

LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: John Allen has covered the Vatican for 30 years.

He's editor of Crux, an online site that covers the Vatican and the Catholic Church.

So, John, what did you take from the Pope's first Sunday message?

JOHN ALLEN, The Crux: Well, if there was any question about whether Pope Leo XIV would be a lesson political figure than Francis or for that matter, John Paul II before him, I think we have the answer to that question.

And the answer is clearly no.

Pope Leo intends to continue to address the global crises of the moment and try to be that voice of conscience on the global stage for humanitarian concerns.

You heard him addressing Foursquare, the conflict in Ukraine.

You heard him addressing the war in Gaza.

You heard him welcoming the ceasefire between India and Pakistan.

I think what that suggests is that he's going to try to pick up the megaphone that Pope Francis left behind and continue to use it to try to move the ball on social, political, cultural issues that are of concern to the Catholic Church.

LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: As you said, he is following in the footsteps of Pope Francis.

What do you see in his message for the traditionalists and the reformers in the church who are either looking for some appeal to them or are trying to figure out how he may lead the church?

JOHN ALLEN: Well, I don't think there was much in today's noontime Regina Chaley address that speaks to where he's going to position himself on the liberal conservatives divides.

I do think that the fact that when he stepped out after the Habamus Poppin to introduce himself as the new pope of the Catholic Church.

The fact that he was wearing more traditional vestments, that is not just the plain white robe that we saw from Francis, but the red sort of top, the mozzetta, and then the stole that Catholics call the pallium.

Those were sort of gestures.

Without saying a word out loud, he was, in effect, telling the more traditionalist and conservative wing of the Church, I'm not going to be your enemy.

I can tell you this, Laura.

I've known Cardinal Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV.

For some time, he is one of the least ideological figures I have ever met.

He's a pragmatist.

And my prediction would be that throughout the course of his papacy, however long or short that might be, there will be alternate moments in which he delights and frustrates liberals and conservatives alike.

LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: John, there was an American worshiper who was there at the Vatican today, and I want you to hear what they had to say.

ESMERELDA VARGAS: I hope that with the grace of God, he will be able to unite people from all over the world.

We come from a very diverse country that is made up of people from all over the world, and I feel that it's important to give everybody their place.

LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: That message of providing a place for everyone appears to be a part of what we've heard so far from Pope Leo XIV.

Do you think that he is going to really continue to spread that message and to also counter some political forces that he sees rising throughout the globe?

JOHN ALLEN: Well, you heard him in his very first message as pope when he presented himself on the balcony after his election, emphasized unity, emphasized the idea that there is space for everyone in the church, echoing that famous phrase from Pope Francis, who when asked who belongs in the church, his answer was todos, todos, todos.

Everyone, everyone everyone.

I think that's very much going to be the message from Pope Leo XIV as well.

Now, let me be clear.

Leo is a bridge builder by instinct.

He's not someone who goes looking for fights.

So I don't think he's going to want to set himself up in opposition to anyone.

But I think he is in opposition to something.

And that something is a cultural tendency in our time to polarize and divide.

I think he sees that as toxic, and he's going to do what he can as pope to try to resist it.

LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: John Allen of the Crux, thank you for your time.

JOHN ALLEN: You're welcome.