During his address at the regular general audience in the Vatican on April 8, 2026, Pope Leo expressed satisfaction at the announcement of a current two-week suspension of hostilities in the war in Iran. He emphasized the importance of continuing negotiations to achieve a complete end to the regional war and to ease tensions that, he said, have burdened the Middle East and the entire world.
"In light of these past hours of great tension for the Middle East and for the whole world, I welcome with satisfaction the announcement of the current two-week ceasefire," said Pope Leo during his weekly address to the faithful in St. Peter's Square in the Vatican. He stressed that lasting peace cannot be achieved through military means, emphasizing that "only a return to negotiations can lead to an end to the war." In recent weeks, Leo has emerged as a vocal critic of the war, commenting increasingly openly on the consequences of the conflict and its impact on the civilian population.
In recent days, the Pope has publicly intensified his criticism of the war being waged by the United States and Israel against Iran. He specifically referred to a statement by U.S. President Donald Trump, who reportedly warned Iran that "the entire civilization will die tonight" if the country does not accept U.S. demands for a ceasefire. In a conversation with journalists, Pope Leo described such a threat as "truly unacceptable" and warned of the danger of inflammatory rhetoric at a time when fears of the conflict spreading are growing. He emphasized that the responsibility of political leaders involves calming, not inflaming, tensions.
Reports highlight that it is unusual for the Pope, as head of a community of 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide, to respond so directly to a statement by a world leader. In this case, Pope Leo decided to take a very clear stance against a threat that, as he emphasized, concerns the fate of an entire people and the stability of the broader region.