Pope Leo XIV sharply escalated his calls for peace on Sunday, directly appealing to the leaders responsible for the ongoing war in Iran to halt the fighting and reopen paths toward diplomacy.
Speaking at the end of his traditional Sunday noon blessing in Rome, the pontiff urged those behind the conflict to stop the violence and pursue dialogue.
“On behalf of the Christians of the Middle East and all women and men of good will, I appeal to those responsible for this conflict,” Leo said. “Cease fire so that avenues for dialogue may be reopened. Violence can never lead to the justice, stability, and peace that the people are waiting for.”
Although the pope did not explicitly mention the United States or Israel, his remarks referenced recent attacks in the war, including a deadly missile strike that hit an elementary school in the Iranian city of Minab during the early days of the conflict. The strike killed more than 165 people, many of them children.
U.S. officials have said outdated intelligence may have contributed to the attack and noted that an investigation is underway.
The Vatican has highlighted the devastating impact of the strike in its official newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano. The paper recently featured an aerial image of a mass grave being dug for the young victims beneath the headline “The Face of War.”
Leo said he was praying for the families of those killed in the violence, noting that schools, hospitals, and residential areas have all been hit in the fighting.
The pope also expressed concern about the war’s broader impact on the region, especially in neighboring Lebanon. Aid groups have warned that the conflict could deepen an already fragile humanitarian situation there.
The Vatican has long paid close attention to the safety of Christian communities in southern Lebanon, which have historically served as an important presence for Christians in the predominantly Muslim region.
For the first two weeks after the war began, Leo had limited his public comments to general appeals for diplomacy, an approach that reflects the Vatican’s long-standing policy of neutrality in global conflicts. As the first American pope, he has also appeared cautious about creating the impression that he is directly opposing U.S. policy under Donald Trump.
Even so, some church leaders in the United States have been more outspoken.
Robert McElroy said the war was morally unjustifiable, while Blase Cupich criticized what he described as insensitive social media messaging from the White House that incorporated video game imagery into posts about the conflict.
Meanwhile, the Vatican’s top diplomat, Pietro Parolin, has also rejected Washington’s description of the conflict as a “preventive war.” However, he emphasized that the Holy See continues to maintain dialogue with all sides.
“The Holy See speaks with everyone,” Parolin said, adding that Vatican officials communicate with American and Israeli leaders to present what they believe could lead to peaceful solutions.
As the war continues to escalate, Leo’s latest appeal marks his most direct call yet for an immediate ceasefire and a return to diplomacy in the region.
