Pope Leo XIV gives thumbs-up to South Side Chicagoans at weekly audience

Pope Leo XIV joked with audience members from Chicago's South Side neighborhood giving them a thumbs-up as he toured St. Peter's Square at the start of his weekly audience on Wednesday.

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The pope also blessed babies and signed a scarf for a little boy.

At the end of the audience, he greeted a group of Arabic speaking pilgrims coming from Lebanon and the Holy Land who were carrying a Palestinian flag.

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On Tuesday evening, the Pope weighed in on some geopolitical issues as he was leaving the Castel Gandolfo residence to return to the Vatican, urging Hamas to accept a US peace plan for Gaza, terming it a "realistic proposal" with interesting elements.

History's first American pope repeated his call for an immediate ceasefire and the release of hostages taken by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023.

But Leo also expressed hope for an end to the war.

Leo said he is concerned about the fate of the flotilla bringing aid to Gaza.

The 50-plus boats are expected to try to breach the Israeli naval blockade overnight.

He expressed understanding of the flotilla organizers' desire to respond to the "true humanitarian emergency," but he expressed concern for the potential of violence.

The Italian government has warned flotilla organizers that Israel may treat their incursion as a "hostile act."