Pope Leo XIV calls for end to hate speech and bullying during Pavia visit, urging 'builders of peace'
Speaking to children and local authorities in the northern Italian city of Pavia, Pope Leo XIV urged the faithful to reject hate speech, insults and bullying as the first step toward peace.
Pope Leo XIV visited the northern Italian city of Pavia on 20 June 2026, where he delivered a pointed call to disarm language at a moment of sharp international tensions. In front of around 1,500 people gathered in Piazza del Duomo, the American-born pontiff linked personal conduct directly to global peace.
A message rooted in Augustine
Before speaking to the crowd, Leo XIV prayed at the tomb of Saint Augustine inside the Basilica of San Pietro in Ciel d'Oro. He used the saint's teaching to frame his appeal, saying that inner conversion must precede any change in the world.
All of us want to live in peace. It is very important that we never lose hope. But, as Saint Augustine told us, if we want to change the times, if we want the world to live in peace, we must begin with ourselves. That means: enough with words of hate, enough with insults, with bullying, enough with all those things that make war between people, between communities, between countries. We must all learn to be builders of peace and promoters of reconciliation.
Political backdrop
The pope named no leaders, but Italian news outlets linked the speech to a recent incident involving former US president Donald Trump, whose behaviour toward Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni had drawn international criticism. By denouncing 'words of hate' and an aggressive public discourse, Leo XIV offered a moral counterpoint without entering the political fray.
Migration and memory
Later in the day, the pope travelled to nearby Sant'Angelo Lodigiano, birthplace of Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini. He recalled how the missionary nun served Italian emigrants in the United States in the late nineteenth century and ultimately died in Chicago. Leo XIV said the migration phenomenon 'still challenges the Church today' and cited Pope Francis, 'son of Italian emigrants', as a model of pastoral care for migrants.
A city's welcome
About fifty mayors and local civil authorities joined the crowd. Before entering the basilica, a faithful handed the pope a dome-shaped cake dedicated to Saint Augustine, made of sponge cake, dates and almond mousse. The visit underscored Leo XIV's Augustinian roots and his emphasis on the 'ordo amoris', ordering love with God first, then neighbour, then self.
