VATICAN CITY: Pope Leo on Saturday called on global leaders to bring an end the “madness of war,” delivering a forceful appeal as senior US and Iranian officials convened in Pakistan to discuss ways to resolve the six-week conflict.
Speaking during a special prayer vigil at St. Peter’s Basilica, the first American pope criticised the use of religious rhetoric to justify violence and warned that a “delusion of omnipotence that surrounds us … is becoming increasingly unpredictable.”
“Stop! It is time for peace! Sit at the table of dialogue and mediation, not at the table where rearmament is planned,” he said. Pope Leo, has been a strong critic of the war involving Iran and the US.
On Saturday, he adopted a sharper tone, condemning the violence and referring to letters from children in conflict zones that he said conveyed “horror and inhumanity.”
He also recalled the Church’s opposition to the 2003 war on Iraq, citing an appeal made just days before the conflict by the late Pope John Paul II.
“Enough of the idolatry of self and money!” Leo said. “Enough of the display of power! Enough of war!” he said.
The balance within the human family has been severely destabilised,” said Leo. “Even the holy Name of God, the God of life, is being dragged into discourses of death.”
The statement comes at a time when Pakistan-mediated direct talks between the United States and Iranian delegations are underway in Islamabad, as Pakistan urged both sides to “engage constructively” to end the Middle East conflict.
The US delegation is led by US Vice President JD Vance, who is accompanied by US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff.
The Iranian delegation is led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and also includes Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, along with other leaders.
Earlier, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar “expressed the hope that parties would engage onstructively, and reiterated Pakistan’s desire to continue facilitating the parties towards reaching a lasting and durable solution to the conflict”, the foreign ministry said in a statement.
