Pope Leon, rare appeal to Donald Trump before Easter. “Let's hope he's looking for a way out”
Pope Leo XIV, the first American leader in the history of the Roman Catholic Church, urged the president of the United States to seek a “way out” of the war against Iran, saying he hoped hostilities would end before Easter, according to Reuters.
“I was told that President Trump recently stated that he would like to end the war,” Pope Leo told reporters outside his residence at Castel Gandolfo near Rome.
“Let us hope that he is looking for a way out,” the Sovereign Pontiff continued. “Let's hope he's looking for a way to reduce the number of violence,” he added.
Pope Leo lamented the high number of deaths caused by the conflict in the Middle East.
“There have been so many deaths, including of innocent children,” the pope said. “Let's continue to call for peace,” Leon stressed.
“There are too many people promoting fighting, violence, war,” he complained.
The conflict has already claimed thousands of lives
In Iran, since the beginning of the war, at least 1,574 civilians have been killed, including 236 children, The New York Times wrote, citing data provided by HRANA, the press association of a non-profit organization that campaigns for human rights in the Islamic Republic.
In Lebanon, where Israel has launched an offensive against the pro-Iranian Shiite militia Hezbollah, 1,260 Lebanese have been killed and more than 3,750 wounded, according to the health ministry.
At least 50 people have died in other Gulf nations targeted by Iran's retaliation to the US and Israeli attacks. In Israel, according to Friday's data, at least 17 people were killed. The number of American soldiers killed in the conflict has reached 13.
Pope Leo: God rejects the prayers of those who start wars
Known for choosing his words carefully, Pope Leo rarely makes direct appeals to world leaders, but in recent weeks he has stepped up his criticism of the war in the Middle East.
On Sunday, on the occasion of the Catholic Floris, Pope Leo said that God rejects the prayers of leaders who start wars and have “bloodstained hands”
“(Jesus Christ) does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, but rejects them, saying: “Even if you pray a lot, I will not listen to you: your hands are full of blood”, he stated, quoting a passage from the Bible, in the message sent to the tens of thousands of people who gathered on Sunday in Saint Peter's Square for Palm Sunday.
