April 23, 2026, 10:37 p.mApril 23, 2026, 10:37 p.m
Pope Leo XIV has called on the USA and Iran to return to the negotiating table. On the flight back from a trip to Africa, the head of the Catholic Church called for a new “culture of peace” in order to resolve conflicts without military force. Leo spoke of a “chaotic situation”. “In one day, Iran says yes, the United States says no, and vice versa. We don’t know where this will go.”
The Pope encouraged all sides to “find answers that emerge from a culture of peace and not from hatred and division.” At the same time, he condemned the killing of demonstrators in Iran and the executions there in front of journalists traveling with him on his plane. The last stop on his African trip was Equatorial Guinea.
Leo doesn’t mention Trump’s name
The first pope from the USA was massively criticized by Donald Trump last week. The US President accused him of not speaking out decisively enough about Iran’s actions against its own people. Leo now said: «I condemn all actions that are unjust. I condemn the killing of people.” He did not mention Trump’s name in his answer.
A few days ago, Leo had already emphasized that he was not interested in a dispute with the US President. But he also made it clear that he did not want to be intimidated by the White House. Now Leo also reported that he was carrying a photo of a boy from Lebanon who was killed in Israeli attacks on the pro-Iranian Hezbollah militia. The boy cheered him on during his visit to Lebanon last year. (sda/dpa)