Pope Leo XIV stated that “as a religious leader” he cannot support the war between the United States and Israel against Iran, but condemned the Iranian regime for killing protesters.
“As a religious leader, I cannot be in favor of war,” Leão told journalists traveling with him from Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, a week after US President Donald Trump attacked the pontiff for his stance on the conflict in the Middle East.
“I would encourage everyone to make efforts to seek answers that come from a culture of peace and not a place of hate and division.”
Leão stated that the US and Israeli bombings of Iran have created a “global” in addition to “an entire population in Iran, of innocent people, who are suffering because of this war.”
Highlighting the human cost of the conflict, the pope revealed that he carries a photo of a , who had carried a sign welcoming the pontiff late last year and who was killed in the war.
The pope, who alternated between English, Spanish and Italian when answering questions, also criticized the Iranian regime for the death of protesters in his first comments on the topic.
When asked if he condemned Tehran’s lethal crackdown on protests, Leão said: “I condemn all actions that are unjust, I condemn the loss of human life, I condemn the death penalty, I believe that human life must be respected.”
“When a regime, when a country, makes decisions that take people’s lives unjustly, obviously that is something that should be condemned.”
