Pope urges leaders to abandon ‘projects of death’

On Thursday, Pope Leo XIV released a video in which he prays for world leaders to reject war as a means of resolving conflicts. The message came as US and Israeli bombing of Iran entered its sixth day.

‘Lord, enlighten the leaders of the nations, so they may have the courage to abandon projects of death, halt the arms race and place the lives of the most vulnerable at the centre,’ the pope says in the video message.

Each month the pope releases a video setting out his prayer intention for the period. In March the focus is disarmament and peace. It remains unclear, however, whether Thursday’s message was prepared in direct response to the current military escalation in the Middle East.

The conflict escalated after US-Israeli attacks on Iran prompted Tehran to launch retaliatory strikes against Israel, the Gulf states and Iraq, while Israel also carried out strikes in Lebanon.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State of the Holy See, warned that recognising the right to ‘preventive war’ could lead to the whole world ‘going up in flames’. In the message, the pope emphasised that true security comes from trust, justice and solidarity among nations.

(reuters, lud)