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Pope Leo XIV calls for peace and dialogue in Israel-Iran conflict

Pope Leo XIV calls for peace and dialogue in Israel-Iran conflict
Yeah Iran's leadership is hailing the ceasefire between Israel, Iran, and the United States as *** victory for Iran. They say that they forced the US and Israel into the ceasefire. They essentially say that President Trump came begging for *** ceasefire because of Iran's strong response, not just to the US bombing Iran nuclear installations, but of course also by firing missiles towards Israeli territory, and the Iranians are saying. That for them they consider this to be *** show of strength by their military, and the event that you're seeing right now is actually Iran's leadership saying thank you to the military and thank you to the armed forces. We've been speaking to folks here on the ground, and many of them are hailing and praising the ceasefire, but others say that they're also critical of the ceasefire and feel that Iran's military should have fought on. Now we're obeying the commands of the Supreme Leader, she says. He says we will follow. If he orders jihad, we will follow. If he orders us to hold back, we will hold back. The ceasefire has not been something good or profitable for us, he says, because we should have finished the story. We should have totally wiped out Israel. We will crush their might, he says. We'll throw *** punch into the mouths of the United States and the Zionists. Our opinion is always peace, she says. Now it depends on them how they behave. One thing Iran's leadership has been very clear about is they say that Iran's nuclear program was not destroyed by those air strikes conducted by the Trump administration. They say the knowledge of nuclear energy remains here in Iran and that its nuclear program will certainly come. to life and even exists right now. The other thing that the Iranians are saying as well, despite that the ceasefire is taking place, they do not trust the United States and certainly don't trust Israel, and they say at any point in time their finger is on the trigger, Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Tehran.
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Updated: 4:33 AM CDT Jun 25, 2025
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Pope Leo XIV calls for peace and dialogue in Israel-Iran conflict
AP logo
Updated: 4:33 AM CDT Jun 25, 2025
Editorial Standards
Pope Leo XIV urged the warring sides in the Israel-Iran war to “reject the logic of bullying and revenge” and choose a path of dialogue and diplomacy to reach peace as he expressed solidarity with all Christians in the Middle East.Speaking at his weekly Wednesday general audience, the American pope said he was following “with attention and hope” recent developments in the war. He cited the biblical exhortation: “A nation shall not raise the sword against another nation.”A ceasefire is holding in the 12-day Iran-Israel conflict, which involved Israel targeting Iranian nuclear and military sites and the U.S. intervening by dropping bunker-buster bombs on Iranian nuclear sites. Iran has long maintained that its nuclear program is peaceful.“Let us listen to this voice that comes from on High:” Leo said. “Heal the lacerations caused by the bloody actions of recent days, reject all logic of bullying and revenge, and resolutely take the path of dialogue, diplomacy and peace.”The Chicago-born Leo also expressed solidarity with the victims of Sunday’s attack on a Greek Orthodox church in Damascus, Syria and urged the international community to keep supporting Syrian reconciliation. Syria’s Interior Ministry has said a sleeper cell belonging to the Islamic State group was behind the attack at the Church of the Holy Cross in Damascus, which killed at least 25 people.“To the Christians in the Middle East, I am near you. All the church is close to you,” he said. “This tragic event is a reminder of the profound fragility that still marks Syria after years of conflict and instability, and therefore it is crucial that the international community doesn’t look away from this country, but continues to offer it support through gestures of solidarity and with a renewed commitment to peace and reconciliation.”

Pope Leo XIV urged the warring sides in the Israel-Iran war to “reject the logic of bullying and revenge” and choose a path of dialogue and diplomacy to reach peace as he expressed solidarity with all Christians in the Middle East.

Speaking at his weekly Wednesday general audience, the American pope said he was following “with attention and hope” recent developments in the war. He cited the biblical exhortation: “A nation shall not raise the sword against another nation.”

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A ceasefire is holding in the 12-day Iran-Israel conflict, which involved Israel targeting Iranian nuclear and military sites and the U.S. intervening by dropping bunker-buster bombs on Iranian nuclear sites. Iran has long maintained that its nuclear program is peaceful.

“Let us listen to this voice that comes from on High:” Leo said. “Heal the lacerations caused by the bloody actions of recent days, reject all logic of bullying and revenge, and resolutely take the path of dialogue, diplomacy and peace.”

The Chicago-born Leo also expressed solidarity with the victims of Sunday’s attack on a Greek Orthodox church in Damascus, Syria and urged the international community to keep supporting Syrian reconciliation. Syria’s Interior Ministry has said a sleeper cell belonging to the Islamic State group was behind the attack at the Church of the Holy Cross in Damascus, which killed at least 25 people.

“To the Christians in the Middle East, I am near you. All the church is close to you,” he said. “This tragic event is a reminder of the profound fragility that still marks Syria after years of conflict and instability, and therefore it is crucial that the international community doesn’t look away from this country, but continues to offer it support through gestures of solidarity and with a renewed commitment to peace and reconciliation.”