VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo XIV on Sunday prayed that the “roar of bombs” in the Middle East will cease, urging warring parties to silence their weapons and open a space for dialogue as the conflict triggered by US-Israeli air strikes on Iran extended into its ninth day.
Speaking at the end of the Angelus prayer in St. Peter’s Square, the US-born pontiff expressed deep dismay over continuing violence in the region, warning that the conflict threatens to spread and drag other nations into instability.
“Added to the episodes of violence and devastation and the widespread climate of hatred and fear, is the fear that the conflict will spread, and that other countries in the region, including beloved Lebanon, may once again sink into instability,” the Pope said.
The latest escalation follows joint US-Israeli air strikes on Iran that destroyed fuel dumps and triggered fires across Tehran. Iranian missile-and-drone retaliation has since targeted multiple Gulf countries, with the United Arab Emirates intercepting 16 ballistic missiles and 113 drones launched from Iran.
Pope Leo urged all parties to seek peaceful solutions to the crisis
. “Let us raise our humble prayer to the Lord that the roar of the bombs may cease, the weapons may fall silent, and a space for dialogue may open in which the voices of the peoples may be heard,” he stated.
The Pope’s appeal echoes his earlier calls for de-escalation, including a March 1 plea for warring parties to assume “the moral responsibility of halting the spiral of violence” before it becomes “an irreparable abyss”.
His call for dialogue aligns with similar appeals from global leaders, as international concern grows that the conflict could further destabilize the wider Middle East region.
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