Middle East | "War, again!"
Photo by Олег Мороз on Unsplash
As the conflict in the Middle East reignites, Pope Leo XIV makes a strong and direct appeal: stop the spiral of violence, protect civilians and put children's dignity back at the centre
From this moment on, I've been deeply concerned about what's happening in the world: especially yesterday, today, and for who knows how many more days, in the Middle East. War, again! We too must be heralds of the message of peace, the peace of Jesus, the peace that God wants for all. So we must pray a lot for peace and seek ways to live in unity and always reject the temptation to harm others. Violence is never the right choice. And we must always choose good.
During his Sunday visit to the parish of the Ascension of Our Lord Jesus Christ in the Roman district of Quarticciolo, Pope Leo XIV launched a heartfelt appeal on the international situation, expressing deep concern for the new war in the Middle East and forcefully underlining that “God wants peace for all”.
A climate of global tension characterizes this beginning of March: while Israel and the United States have launched a military offensive against Iran, with consequent reactions and an increase in the risk of a wider conflict, the Pontiff wanted to draw attention to the heart of the tragedy: the suffering of civilian populations, especially children.
During his meeting with the faithful, Leo XIV forcefully recalled the dramatic situation in Gaza, where "so many children have died, so many have been left without families, without homes, without a school to learn and play in." He used these images not to further alarmism, but to invite everyone to consider human dignity at the heart of every political and military decision.
The Pope invited to pray intensely for peace and to reflect on everyone's responsibility to promote peaceful coexistence. "Violence is never the right choice. We must always choose good," he said, emphasizing that being heralds of Jesus' peace means rejecting the temptation to harm others and resolutely committing to dialogue and reconciliation.
This appeal for peace is not an isolated one, but is part of a broader framework of reflections the Pope has already expressed on other occasions, such as in the Sunday Angelus, where he recalled that "stability and peace are not built through mutual threats or weapons, which sow destruction, pain and death, but only through reasonable, sincere and responsible dialogue."
War, in the vision of Leo XIV, is not an inevitable destiny but a choice that can always be avoidedFor this reason, the Pope issued a moral appeal to all parties involved in the Middle Eastern crisis: to halt the spiral of violence before it turns into "an irreparable abyss," to promote the role of diplomacy, and to commit themselves to the good of the peoples who yearn for peaceful coexistence based on justice.
The Pope also wanted to connect this international dimension to the local context, speaking to those present about the drug problem and the social difficulties that afflict many suburbs like Quarticciolo: "Rejecting what is harmful and saying 'yes' to what is good" is a commitment that begins with individual communities and extends to a vision of peace and social justice.
The Holy Father's words therefore resonate as an invitation not to resign ourselves in the face of violence, but to cultivate faith, hope, and charity, which—he said—are "the light of love" even in the most difficult places.
Pig iron
Image
- Picture of Oleg Moroz su Unsplash
As the conflict in the Middle East reignites, Pope Leo XIV makes a strong and direct appeal: stop the spiral of violence, protect civilians and put children's dignity back at the centre
From this moment on, I've been deeply concerned about what's happening in the world: especially yesterday, today, and for who knows how many more days, in the Middle East. War, again! We too must be heralds of the message of peace, the peace of Jesus, the peace that God wants for all. So we must pray a lot for peace and seek ways to live in unity and always reject the temptation to harm others. Violence is never the right choice. And we must always choose good.
During his Sunday visit to the parish of the Ascension of Our Lord Jesus Christ in the Roman district of Quarticciolo, Pope Leo XIV launched a heartfelt appeal on the international situation, expressing deep concern for the new war in the Middle East and forcefully underlining that “God wants peace for all”.
A climate of global tension characterizes this beginning of March: while Israel and the United States have launched a military offensive against Iran, with consequent reactions and an increase in the risk of a wider conflict, the Pontiff wanted to draw attention to the heart of the tragedy: the suffering of civilian populations, especially children.
During his meeting with the faithful, Leo XIV forcefully recalled the dramatic situation in Gaza, where "so many children have died, so many have been left without families, without homes, without a school to learn and play in." He used these images not to further alarmism, but to invite everyone to consider human dignity at the heart of every political and military decision.
The Pope invited to pray intensely for peace and to reflect on everyone's responsibility to promote peaceful coexistence. "Violence is never the right choice. We must always choose good," he said, emphasizing that being heralds of Jesus' peace means rejecting the temptation to harm others and resolutely committing to dialogue and reconciliation.
This appeal for peace is not an isolated one, but is part of a broader framework of reflections the Pope has already expressed on other occasions, such as in the Sunday Angelus, where he recalled that "stability and peace are not built through mutual threats or weapons, which sow destruction, pain and death, but only through reasonable, sincere and responsible dialogue."
War, in the vision of Leo XIV, is not an inevitable destiny but a choice that can always be avoidedFor this reason, the Pope issued a moral appeal to all parties involved in the Middle Eastern crisis: to halt the spiral of violence before it turns into "an irreparable abyss," to promote the role of diplomacy, and to commit themselves to the good of the peoples who yearn for peaceful coexistence based on justice.
The Pope also wanted to connect this international dimension to the local context, speaking to those present about the drug problem and the social difficulties that afflict many suburbs like Quarticciolo: "Rejecting what is harmful and saying 'yes' to what is good" is a commitment that begins with individual communities and extends to a vision of peace and social justice.
The Holy Father's words therefore resonate as an invitation not to resign ourselves in the face of violence, but to cultivate faith, hope, and charity, which—he said—are "the light of love" even in the most difficult places.
Pig iron
Image
- Picture of Oleg Moroz su Unsplash
Photo by Олег Мороз on Unsplash
