Speaking on March 8 during the Angelus prayer in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican, the pontiff said troubling developments continued to emerge from Iran and across the region, urging an immediate halt to violence and renewed efforts to open dialogue.
The remarks came as fighting intensified on the ninth day of the military campaign by the United States and Israel against Iran. Pope Leo warned that the conflict was fueling fear and hostility while raising the risk of a broader regional crisis.
“Alongside the episodes of violence and devastation and the widespread climate of hatred and fear, there is also growing concern that the conflict could spread and that other countries in the region, including dear Lebanon, could once again sink into instability,” he said.
The pope urged people around the world to pray for peace and appealed for the violence to stop.
“Let us raise our humble prayer to the Lord that the roar of bombs may cease, that weapons may fall silent, and that space may be opened for dialogue in which the voices of peoples can be heard,” he added.
Earlier in the week, the Vatican’s top diplomat also criticised the military strikes, warning that the U.S.-Israeli attacks undermine international law. He emphasised that countries do not have the right to launch so-called preventive wars, an unusually direct criticism from the Vatican regarding the ongoing military campaign.
