On March 24, Pope Leo XIV expressed his thoughts on the current war between the United States and Iran. As he left the Apostolic Palace in Castel Gandolfo, Italy, the pope approached a crowd of journalists with a short statement.
“I want to bring to you the appeal for a ceasefire; to work for peace but not with weapons, rather through dialogue, truly seeking a solution for everyone. Now hatred and violence are increasing, getting worse and worse. There are more than a million people displaced, and many have died. You want to pray for peace, but also invite all authorities to truly work through dialogue to resolve the problems.” (Translated to English)
In previous weeks, he lamented that “We cannot remain silent in the face of the suffering of so many people,” calling the pain and deaths brought on by the war, “a scandal for the entire human family.”
When he was elected in May 2025 as the first American pope, many U.S. Catholics celebrated Leo for his progressive ideas and emphasis on empathy. Since then, more Catholic Americans than ever are looking to him for guidance and reassurance in uncertain and unprecedented times.
Less than a year into his pontificate, the pope has not shied away from addressing both American and international events and conflicts. He has consistently called for humanitarian aid and a ceasefire in Gaza, as well as spoken out against the mistreatment of immigrants in the United States on multiple occasions, condemning the “vilification” of migrants.
While he has been critical of the Trump administration and other governments worldwide, the pope continues to maintain the Catholic Church’s long-standing tradition of diplomacy on political matters, limiting his commentary primarily to humanitarian concerns.
In his statement on the war in Iran, he did not directly address which parties his message was for, but rather called for leaders to have meaningful negotiations in pursuit of peace.
In more recent days, Leo continues to make more generalized criticism of war, referencing weapons and bombings in public addresses and prayers. Since Leo’s statement, peace talks have been ongoing, and the U.S. has delayed attacks on Iranian energy sites by 10 days. However, Israel has announced several assassinations of top Iranian officials, the most recent being Iranian Navy Chief Alireza Tangsiri.
Death tolls only continue to climb upward as the war persists. As of March 14, the New York Times reported that “at least 13 American service members have been killed,” and according to officials, “more than 2,100 people have been killed since the start of the war, most in Iran.”
When asked about the pope’s ongoing calls for a ceasefire, President Donald Trump was quoted as saying, “We can have dialogue, but I don’t want to do a ceasefire.”
As the Catholic celebration of Holy Week approaches, Leo continues to focus on Easter and the end of Lent, but being a person with such influence and with a reputation for his stances on peace, it is likely that this will not be the last we hear from the pope on this war.