Pope Leo praises the two-week ceasefire in the Iran war, hours after calling US President Donald Trump’s threat against the population of Iran “unacceptable.”
The pope, who has emerged as an outspoken critic of the war in recent weeks, says he welcomes the announcement of the ceasefire with satisfaction and urges continued negotiation to bring a full end to the regional conflict.
“In light of these past hours of great tension for the Middle East and for the whole world, I welcome with satisfaction… the announcement of an immediate two-week truce,” Leo, the first US pope, says in his weekly audience.
“Only through a return to negotiation can an end to the war be achieved,” he says.
Leo, who is known for choosing his words carefully, has been ramping up his criticism of the US-Israeli war against Iran. After Trump threatened Iran on Tuesday that “a whole civilization will die tonight” if the country did not meet US demands for a truce, Leo told journalists that the threat was “truly unacceptable.”
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From the Liveblog of
Wednesday, April 8, 2026
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