‘Let Diplomacy Silence the Weapons’: Pope Leo’s Cry for Peace

Vatican City, June 22, 2025 : Pope Leo XIV has issued a heartfelt appeal for an end to the tragedy of war, particularly in the Middle East, warning that armed conflict only deepens suffering and fails to offer lasting solutions.

“Alarming news continues to arrive from the Middle East, especially from Iran,” said the Holy Father during his Angelus address on Sunday.

His comments came just hours after US bombers targeted nuclear sites in Iran, amid ongoing strikes exchanged between Israel and Iran.

“In this dramatic scenario, which includes Israel and Palestine,” the Pope 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.

The Pope insisted that this plea for peace “demands responsibility and reason, and must not be drowned out by the roar of weapons or by rhetorical words that incite conflict.”

He called on all members of the international community to embrace their moral duty to “halt the tragedy of war before it becomes an irreparable abyss.”

“When human dignity is at stake,” he said, “no conflict is distant.”

“War does not solve problems,” the Pope affirmed. “On the contrary, it amplifies them and inflicts deep wounds on 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 conclusion, Pope Leo XIV expressed his fervent hope for the sound of arms to cease.

“Let diplomacy silence the weapons!” he urged. “Let nations shape their future with works of peace, not through violence and bloody conflicts!”

Courtesy: Vatican News