Pope Leo XIV has issued a heartfelt plea for an end to the ongoing tragedies of war, particularly in the Middle East, emphasizing that such conflicts only exacerbate existing issues and leave enduring scars without providing sustainable resolutions.
“Alarming news continues to arrive from the Middle East, especially from Iran,” the Pope stated during his Angelus address on Sunday, shortly after U.S. bombers targeted nuclear facilities in Iran amidst escalating strikes between Israel and Iran.
“In this dramatic scenario, which includes Israel and Palestine,” he continued, “the daily suffering of the population—especially in Gaza and other territories—risks being forgotten, even as the need for adequate humanitarian aid becomes ever more urgent.”
“Today more than ever, humanity cries out and pleads for peace,” he declared, underscoring the imperative for collective responsibility and rational discourse that must not be overshadowed by the chaos of warfare or incendiary rhetoric.
The Pope called upon all nations to embrace their ethical obligations to avert the tragedy of war before it plunges humanity into an irreversible abyss. He remarked that when human dignity is at stake, no conflict is remote.
“War does not solve problems,” he asserted. “On the contrary, it amplifies them and causes deep wounds in the history of peoples—wounds that take generations to heal. No military victory can ever compensate for a mother’s pain, a child’s fear, or a stolen future.”
In his closing remarks, Pope Leo XIV expressed a fervent hope for the cessation of hostilities. “Let diplomacy silence the weapons!” he urged. “Let nations shape their future with works of peace, not through violence and bloody conflicts!”