- Title: Pope Leo laments Iran war violence 'getting worse and worse'
- Date: 24th March 2026
- Summary: CASTEL GANDOLFO, ITALY (MARCH 24, 2026) (AGENCY POOL)(NIGHT SHOTS) POPE LEO SALUTING FAITHFUL FROM BALCONY POPE LEO GETTING OUT AND WALKING TOWARDS JOURNALISTS / (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) POPE LEO SAYING: “Good evening every and thank you. I just want to say a few words. Good evening everyone, and thank you for your work. I want to renew the appeal for a ceasefire, to wo
- Embargoed:
- Keywords: IRAN LEO PEACE POPE WAR
- Location: CASTEL GANDOLFO, ITALY
- City: CASTEL GANDOLFO, ITALY
- Country: Italy
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Europe,Military Conflicts
- Reuters ID: LVA001708824032026RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Pope Leo expressed concern on Tuesday (March 24) about a rising tenor of animosity in the expanding Iran war, repeating calls for a ceasefire amid reports that the U.S. is planning to send thousands of soldiers to the Middle East in a military buildup.
Leo, the first U.S. pope, lamented 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 told journalists as he was leaving his residence in Castel Gandolfo, Italy.
"There are more than a million displaced people and many dead," said the pope. "I invite all the authorities to truly work through dialogue to resolve the problems."
Leo, who is known for choosing his words carefully, has been ramping up calls for an end to the Iran war in recent days. On Sunday, he said the conflict was a "scandal to the whole human family". - Copyright Holder: POOL (CAN SELL)
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2026. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None