Pope Leo XIV lamented the deaths of civilians in the war in Iran and expressed closeness to Lebanon.
In his weekly audience in St. Peter’s Square, the pontiff said the Lebanese are going through a great ordeal. The pope also mourned the death of a Maronite priest in attacks in southern Lebanon, where Israel is attacking the Iranian-backed Hezbollah group.
Leão, who has already called for an end to the conflict and warned that violence could spiral out of control, asked pilgrims to pray for peace in Iran and throughout the Middle East, especially “for the many civilian victims, including many innocent children.”
He hoped that “prayer would be a consolation for those who suffer and a seed of hope for the future.” Leo visited Lebanon last December as part of his first trip abroad as pope.
