After praying the Angelus in St Peter’s Square on March 9, Pope Leo’s thoughts turned to the Middle East, from which, he said, “news continues to arrive that causes deep dismay.”
Speaking to the some 15,000 pilgrims gathered in St Peter’s Square, the pope mentioned in particular the “violence and devastation” and “widespread climate of hatred and fear” in Iran and across the region.
He also stressed his fear that the conflict might cause nearby countries, such as “beloved Lebanon,” to once again “sink into instability.”
Pope Leo invited his listeners to pray that “the roar of bombs might cease, that weapons might fall silent, and that a space for dialogue might open, in which the voice of the peoples may be heard.”
He said that he was entrusting his prayer to Mary, Queen of Peace, who he also asked to “intercede for those who suffer because of war” and “guide hearts along paths of reconciliation and hope.”