Pope Leo XIV. on Wednesday, he expressed regret for the numerous victims in the war in the Middle East and expressed solidarity with the people of Lebanon. According to him, the country, which is plagued by Israeli airstrikes, is going through a “great test”. TASR informs about it according to a Reuters report.
- Pope Leo XIV expressed deep regret for the victims of the war in the Middle East.
- According to the Pope, Lebanon is facing a great test because of the ongoing Israeli airstrikes.
- A top church official warned that continued violence could cause the conflict to escalate uncontrollably.
- The US and Israel started the war by attacking Iran on February 28th.
- The Pope identified the slain Lebanese priest as a shepherd who died while helping parishioners.
The highest representative of the Catholic Church has repeatedly called for an end to the conflict and warned that violence could lead to uncontrollable escalation. He called on the pilgrims in Saint Peter’s Square to pray for peace.
“We pray for peace in Iran and the entire Middle East, especially for the many civilian victims, many of whom are innocent children,” said the Pope. The war started by the US and Israel by attacking Iran on February 28th and continues for the 12th day.
The Reuters agency recalled the strike which struck a girls’ school in the Iranian city of Minab in the Hormozgan province in the south of the country at the beginning of the conflict, which apparently claimed more than 150 lives. The US military is investigating the incident.
Leo XIV at the same time expressed regret over the death of a priest who was killed in attacks in southern Lebanon on Monday. Israel has been conducting strikes in the area against the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah. The movement attacks Israel to show solidarity with Tehran. The Pope described the priest as a “true shepherd” who, he said, died while trying to provide aid to his parishioners injured in the attack. The Pope visited Lebanon in December as part of his first foreign trip in office.
