Pope calls for peace, diplomacy in light of U.S. strikes on Iran

ROME – History’s first American pope Sunday voiced concern over the recent escalation of hostilities in Iran, now with United States involvement, urging all parties to lay down their weapons and pursue peace and diplomacy.

In his June 22 Sunday Angelus address, Pope Leo XIV lamented that “alarming news continues to emerge from the Middle East, especially from Iran.”

“Against this tragic backdrop, which includes Israel and Palestine, people’s daily suffering, especially in Gaza and the other territories...