In a pressing appeal, Pope Leo XIV has called for an immediate end to the escalating conflict in Iran, warning that the region stands at the precipice of an “irreparable abyss”.
The Pope denounced the ongoing violence in the Middle East during his Sunday Angelus address from St. Peter’s Square.
He specifically criticized the recent events in Iran, where US bombers hit nuclear sites after hostilities between Iran and Israel flared up.
The Pope addressed the faithful assembled at the Vatican, saying, “Alarming news continues to arrive from the Middle East, especially from Iran.” “Praying for peace, humanity cries out.”
His comments heightened fears that the conflict might escalate into a larger regional war, as reports confirmed that American warplanes had targeted facilities in Iran’s Isfahan, Fordow, and Natanz regions.
Pope Leo, who has frequently urged for regional peace, said that the world must not grow indifferent to the misery brought on by war, highlighting the situation of civilians in Israel, Gaza, and Iranian cities that are currently preparing for reprisals.
The daily suffering of the populace, particularly in Gaza and other territories, “risks being forgotten in this dramatic scenario, which includes Israel and Palestine, even as the need for adequate humanitarian aid becomes ever more urgent,” he said.
In addition, he cautioned that although war is frequently fought in the name of national defense or interest, it rarely ends problems and instead feeds cycles of trauma and devastation.
Also, Pope Leo reminded world leaders of their moral obligation to uphold human dignity above all else and urged them to act with “responsibility and reason.”
