Pope Leo XIV stressed the need for dialogue and bridge building on Monday in an audience with the representatives of other faiths and other Churches that attended his inauguration on Sunday.
"Now is the time for dialogue and building bridges," the American pontiff said.
"I am therefore pleased and grateful for the presence of representatives of other religious traditions, who share the search for God and his will, which is always and only the will of love and life for men and women and for all creatures.
"In a world wounded by violence and conflict, each of the communities represented here brings its own contribution of wisdom, compassion and commitment to the good of humanity and the preservation of our common home.
"I am convinced that if we are in agreement, and free from ideological and political conditioning, we can be effective in saying 'no' to war and 'yes' to peace, 'no' to the arms race and 'yes' to disarmament, 'no' to an economy that impoverishes peoples and the Earth and 'yes' to integral development".
