Pope Leo
During his speech in the Angelus, the Pope expressed his “deep concern” about recent developments and called on countries to choose dialogue over war.
“Stability and peace are not built with mutual threats, nor with weapons that sow destruction, pain and death, but only through reasonable, authentic and responsible dialogue,” the Pope said. Vatican news.
Pope Leo XIV leads the Angelus prayer from the window of the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican on March 1, 2026. The Pope warned that escalating violence in the Middle East risks becoming an “irreparable abyss.” (Reuters/Guglielmo Mangiapane)
“Faced with the possibility of a tragedy of enormous proportions,” he added, “I sincerely appeal to the parties involved to take moral responsibility to stop the cycle of violence before it becomes an irreparable abyss!”
The pope’s warning came after Israel and the US launched a joint military operation against Iran on Saturday, dubbed ‘Operation Epic Fury’. The attacks reportedly killed several senior leaders, including Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who ruled the Islamic Republic for more than 30 years.
Meanwhile, Iranian airstrikes killed at least eight Israelis on Sunday, as Tehran’s latest rocket barrage landed miles from Jerusalem.
The Pope amplified his warning in a two-part message posted on X on Sunday morning.
Putin: Killing KHAMENEI is a ‘cynical violation’ of morality
Smoke rises over Tehran after Israeli airstrikes on Iran, February 28, 2026. (Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu via Getty Images)
“I am following with great concern what is happening in the Middle East and Iran at this tumultuous time,” he said wrote.
“Stability and peace are not achieved through mutual threats, nor through the use of weapons that cause destruction, suffering and death, but only through reasonable, sincere and responsible dialogue.”
The attacks killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. (Iranian News Agency Leader/Anadolu via Getty Images)
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In a follow-up post, he warned of “the possibility of a tragedy of enormous proportions” and urged all parties involved “to take moral responsibility to stop the cycle of violence before it becomes an unbridgeable chasm.”
“May diplomacy be restored to its proper role, and may the well-being of the peoples, who long for a peaceful existence based on justice, be maintained. And let us continue to pray for peace,” he added.
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