Pope calls Lebanese priest killed by IDF gunfire ‘true pastor,’ laments innocent children killed in war

Pope Leo XIV calls the Maronite priest killed by Israeli fire this week “a true pastor who always stood by his people.”

Speaking during his weekly audience in the Vatican’s St. Peter’s Square, Leo says, “Father Pierre was a true pastor who always stood by his people with the love and sacrifice of Jesus the Good Shepherd.”

Father Pierre al-Rai of Qlayaa was killed Monday when a house he was in was hit by Israeli tank fire, according to state media and a medical source. The border village had not previously been caught up in the conflict between the Hezbollah terror group and Israel.

The Lebanese National News Agency (NNA) reported that a house in the Christian town was “hit twice in succession by artillery shelling from a hostile Merkava tank” on Monday. Leo earlier released a message mourning his death, as did Israeli towns along the border.

“As soon as he heard that some of his parishioners had been wounded in a bombing, he rushed to help them without hesitation,” says Leo in his address. “May the blood he shed be a seed of peace for beloved Lebanon.”

“I am close to all the Lebanese people at this time of grave trial,” he says. Leo visited Lebanon late last year.

In his address, he also prays for peace in Iran and throughout the Middle East “especially for the numerous civilian victims, including many innocent children.” The pontiff does not single out any specific incident, including the deadly strike on a girls’ school ​in southern Iran which Iran says killed 150 students. Israel has denied responsibility, and the US military says it is investigating ​the incident.