Pope Leo laments that Iran war is only ‘getting worse and worse’

By Reuters 24 March 2026, 10:40 pm

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Pope Leo XIV gives a speech to the pilgrims gathered in St. Peter's Square during the Sunday Angelus prayer at the Vatican on March 15, 2026. (Filippo MONTEFORTE / AFP)

Pope Leo expresses concern about a rising tenor of animosity in the expanding Iran war, repeating calls for a ceasefire amid reports the US is planning to send thousands of soldiers to the Middle East in a military buildup.

Leo, the first US pope, laments that “hatred is increasing, and the violence is getting worse and worse.”

“I want to renew the appeal for a ceasefire, to work for peace, but not with weapons — rather through dialogue, truly seeking a solution for everyone,” he tells journalists as he is leaving his residence in Castel Gandolfo, Italy.

“There are more than a million displaced people and many dead,” says the pope. “I invite all the authorities to truly work through dialogue to resolve the problems.”