HOW PONTIFF LEO URGES PRAYER FOR ROARING BOMBS TO CEASE; WAR IS NO SOLUTION; CALL TO CONSCIOUS... (166 hits)
For Immediate Release From Vatican News!
(A 20-Minute Read)
Pontiff Leo: May Weapons Fall Silent In Iran
At the Sunday Angelus, Pontiff Leo invites the 15,000 pilgrims gathered in St Peter’s Square to pray that “the roar of bombs might cease, that weapons might fall silent, and that a space for dialogue might open, in which the voice of the peoples may be heard.” Vatican News
After praying the Angelus in St Peter’s Square on Sunday, Pontiff Leo’s thoughts turned to the Middle East, from which, he said, “news continues to arrive that causes deep dismay”.
Speaking to the some fifteen thousand pilgrims gathered in St Peter’s Square, the Pope mentioned in particular the “violence and devastation” and “widespread climate of hatred and fear” in Iran and across the region.
********
He also stressed his fear that the conflict might cause nearby countries, such as “beloved Lebanon”, to once again “sink into instability”.
Pontiff Leo invited his listeners to pray that “the roar of bombs might cease, that weapons might fall silent, and that a space for dialogue might open, in which the voice of the peoples may be heard.”
He said that he was entrusting his prayer to Mary, Queen of Peace, who he also asked to “intercede for those who suffer because of war” and “guide hearts along paths of reconciliation and hope”.
Peace Not Built With Threats
A week ago, at last Sunday’s Angelus, Pontiff Leo XIV expressed “deep concern” over the situation in the Middle East and Iran.
“Stability and peace are not built with mutual threats, nor with weapons, which sow destruction, pain, and death, but only through a reasonable, authentic, and responsible dialogue,” he said.
The Pontiff warned of an immense tragedy if violence escalates out of control.
“Faced with the possibility of a tragedy of enormous proportions,” he said, “I address to the parties involved a heartfelt appeal to assume the moral responsibility to stop the spiral of violence before it becomes an irreparable abyss!”
Pontiff Leo prayed that nations may return to dialogue in order to seek peace.
“May diplomacy recover its role and may the good of peoples be promoted, peoples who long for peaceful coexistence founded on justice,” he said. “And let us continue to pray for peace.”
********
Iraq's Patriarch Sako: ‘War Is Not The Solution’
As Iran strikes targets across Iraq in retaliation for Israeli-American airstrikes, the Chaldean Patriarch of Baghdad tells Vatican News of his deep concern over the risk of a wider regional war, and calls on Iraq’s religious leaders to speak out for peace. By Olivier Bonnel and Jean-Charles Putzolu
Like much of the Middle East, Iraq has come under rocket and drone attacks from Iran over the past week, following Israeli-American strikes on Iran.
Erbil, capital of the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region, has borne the brunt of the assaults, but the entire country, from oil fields in the southern city of Basra to Baghdad’s airport, has been targeted.
With the spectre of a broader regional conflict looming, the Chaldean Patriarch of Baghdad, Cardinal Louis Raphaël Sako, has voiced his alarm.
“As Patriarch, I am deeply concerned,” he told Vatican News. “No one knows where this war will lead.”
Recalling the chaos, disorder, vengeance, and attacks that followed the 2003 US invasion, he stressed that “we have lived through this before.”
Fear Of Further Escalation
While Iranian-backed Shiite militias in Iraq have so far remained largely on the sidelines, Patriarch Sako warned of the risks facing Iraqi society, where Shiites make up nearly 60% of the population. “We are afraid because we are neighbours with Iran, and many Iraqis are Shiite. There is a double concern.”
“We fear a further escalation that could drag us into a large-scale regional war,” the cardinal continued, noting that strikes have also hit Gulf states, Turkey, and Azerbaijan. “War is not the solution,” he stressed. “Diplomacy is what can resolve these problems.”
The head of the Chaldean Church also said he was following with concern the situation of Iraq's Christian communities, especially in their historic heartland of the Nineveh Plains, which was occupied by ISIS a decade ago.
“We Christians are very worried, because if they start attacking the Nineveh Plains, where there are 50,000 Christians, these people will leave their homes—and this time, they will not return,” the Cardinal warned.
Raising Voices For Peace
“I have asked Christians to pray for peace at every Sunday Mass, to be cautious, and not to lose courage or hope,” Cardinal Sako said.
He also called on Iraq’s other religious leaders to help ease tensions. “I have asked Muslim leaders to raise their voices for peace and fraternity, as Pontiff Francis did during his visit to Iraq and his meeting with Grand Ayatollah Al-Sistani.”
That historic encounter in the holy city of Najaf on March 6, 2021 remains a landmark moment for interfaith coexistence in Iraq. “It was a very important meeting,” recalled Cardinal Sako. “Al-Sistani said ‘We are part of you, and you are part of us’, which is exactly what Pontiff Francis also said: ‘We are brothers.’”
On March 4, as bombs continued to fall across the region, Ayatollah Al-Sistani issued a statement expressing his own fears of a widening war. He renewed his call “to all influential international actors and to the countries of the world, especially Islamic countries, to make every possible effort to bring an immediate end to the conflict and to find a just and peaceful solution to the Iranian nuclear issue, in accordance with international law.”
********
Cardinal Cupich issues “A Call to Conscience” on portrayal of war
The Archbishop of Chicago issues a "Call to Conscience" as the tragedy of war is being treated and portrayed as a video game. He warns that the longer we remain blind to the terrible consequences of war, "the more we risk losing the most precious gift God gave us: our humanity." By Vatican News
Cardinal Koovakad: Women's leadership needed in times of crisis Speaking at a conference in Rome, the Prefect of the Dicastery for Interreligous Dialogue highlights the role of women, dialogue and cultural cooperation in a world marked by conflict and divisions. By Fr. Mark Robin Destura RCJ
Women’s leadership and dialogue are essential for building bridges between cultures and societies, Cardinal George Jacob Koovakad said during a conference held on March 6 at the Chapter Room of the Cloister of the Convent of Santa Maria in Rome.
The event, entitled “Women, Leadership, and Dialogue: Bridges Between Knowledge, Cultures, and Society,” gathered diplomats, political leaders, academics, and civil society representatives to reflect on the role of women in promoting peace, cooperation, and social transformation.
“The Ashes of A Burning World”
In his address, Cardinal Koovakad reflected on the spiritual meaning of the present historical moment, noting that Lent in 2026 coincides with the Muslim observance of Ramadan.
The Pope had invited believers to recognize in the ashes of Ash Wednesday “the weight of a burning world,” pointing to the destruction caused by wars, the weakening of international law, environmental degradation, and the erosion of critical thinking and wisdom.
Echoing the biblical question of the prophet Joel: “Where is their God? he added that conversion is a sign of hope, because it means “not stopping among the ashes, but rising up and rebuilding.”
Building Bridges Through Dialogue
The Cardinal emphasized that rebuilding requires a new direction in global leadership. While modern warfare often relies on technology, artificial intelligence, and advanced weapons, peace requires what he called a deeper “disarmament of the heart, mind, and life.”
It calls for leadership formed through education, cultural dialogue, and the participation of society as a whole.
“For this reason,” Cardinal Koovakad noted, “leadership and dialogue promoted by this conference must involve knowledge, culture, and the active participation of the whole of society.”
Women At The Forefront of Peace
Cardinal Koovakad highlighted the particular contribution women have made in the pursuit of peace throughout history.
He pointed to figures such as Saint Catherine of Siena, who mediated among powerful leaders, and Eleanor Roosevelt, who played a key role in drafting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
He also recalled Nobel Peace Prize laureate Wangari Maathai, who once said: “There comes a time when humanity is called to shift to a new level of consciousness… a time when we have to shed our fear and give hope to each other. That time is now.”
“That time is now,” the Cardinal repeated, noting how many women today are actively engaged in peacebuilding initiatives across the world.
Among them are the thousands of Israeli and Palestinian women involved in movements such as Women Wage Peace and Women of the Sun, working on diplomatic negotiations for the Isreali-Palestinian conflict.
The Characteristics of Female Leadership
According to Cardinal Koovakad, women’s leadership often brings distinctive qualities that are particularly valuable in times of crisis.
These include the courage of women “in rebuilding a collapsed bridge,” empathy toward the suffering of others, and the ability to confront complex social challenges with resilience and determination.
Women, he said, often demonstrate a capacity to overcome prejudice, involve both allies and adversaries in dialogue, and promote justice, care for the environment, and the common good.
Their resilience, he added, allows them to face social divisions, poverty, and the anxieties of communities while nurturing hope and wisdom.
A Shared Responsibility For The Future
Reflecting on the gravity of the current global crisis, Cardinal Koovakad noted that many of yesterday’s solutions are no longer adequate. Humanity, he said, must rediscover its identity as a single human family sharing a common planet.
Promoting and valuing the originality of women’s leadership is therefore not only a matter of justice but also “a guarantee for the future.”
Cardinal Parolin: The mission of a nuncio is to bear peace and unity amid divisions At Yagma in Burkina Faso, Cardinal Secretary of State, Pietro Parolin, presides over the Mass for the episcopal ordination of Archbishop Relwendé Kisito Ouédraogo, Apostolic Nuncio to the Republic of the Congo and to Gabon, and for many years the Cardinal’s personal secretary. By Isabella Piro
Gratitude, trust, and encouragement were the sentiments that animated the episcopal ordination of Archbishop Relwendé Kisito Ouédraogo, Apostolic Nuncio to the Republic of the Congo and Gabon.
The ceremony took place on Saturday, March 7, in the Minor Basilica of Notre-Dame of Yagma in Burkina Faso, the Archbishop’s country of origin. Cardinal Secretary of State, Pietro Parolin, presided over the ordination. Archbishop Ouédraogo served as his personal secretary for many years.
In January 2010, Archbishop Ouédraogo began his service in the Section for General Affairs of the Secretariat of State, where he remained until January 28 of this year, when Pontiff Leo XIV appointed him Apostolic Nuncio in Brazzaville, elevating him to the titular see of Hilta with the dignity of archbishop. On February 10, he was also appointed pontifical representative in Libreville.
Pope Appoints Archbishop Gabriele Caccia As Apostolic Nuncio To The U.S.
Pontiff Leo appoints Archbishop Gabriele Caccia - Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations since 2019 - as Apostolic Nuncio to the United States. In a statement, Archbishop Caccia highlights this new role as a “mission at the service of communion and peace.” Vatican News
Pontiff Leo appointed Archbishop Gabriele Caccia as Apostolic Nuncio to the United States on Saturday, March 7, 2026. Since 2019, he had been serving as Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations in New York. He succeeds Cardinal Christophe Pierre, who had turned 80-years-old on January 30: the Pope accepted his resignation upon reaching the age limit.
Archbishop Caccia said he was “honored and deeply humbled by the decision of the Holy Father” to appoint him as nuncio “to the Country and the Church” where the Pope was born and raised.
“I receive this mission with both joy and a sense of trepidation,” he underlined, while highlighting that this is a “mission at the service of communion and peace” and that it begins in the year in which the United States celebrates the 250th anniversary of its founding.
Archbishop Caccia also said he feels “encouraged by the warmth and openness” he has received from the local Church, the people and the institutions of the U.S., which he has come to know during his years of service at the United Nations in New York.
Archbishop Caccia was born in Milan on February 24, 1958. Ordained a priest in 1983 by Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini, he served at the parish of San Giovanni Bosco in Milan until 1986. He was then sent to the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy in Rome. He then obtained a Doctorate in Theology and a Licentiate in Canon Law from the Pontifical Gregorian University.
He joined the Diplomatic Service of the Holy See in 1991 and was assigned to the Papal Representation in Tanzania. In 1993, he was called to serve in the Section for General Affairs of the Secretariat of State, in the Secretariat of the Substitute. In 2002, he was appointed Assessor for General Affairs of the Secretariat of State.
Holy See: Foreign Debt Perpetuates Cycles Of Poverty And Inequality
The Holy See’s Permanent Observer to the UN in Geneva calls for efforts to overcome global inequalities exacerbated by foreign debt. By Linda Bordoni
Speaking at the 61st regular session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, the Apostolic Nuncio and Permanent Observer of the Holy See deplored the effects of foreign debt on developing nations, perpetrating cycles of poverty and inequality.
Archbishop Ettore Balestrero described debt as a moral and human rights issue plaguing the most vulnerable.
Debt As A Moral And Human Rights Issue
“In too many nations – particularly in the Global South – debt servicing consumes resources that should nourish the common good,” the Archbishop said, noting that funds urgently needed for “basic necessities such as food, clean water, health, housing and social protection” are being diverted.
“When debt burdens become crushing, States face impossible choices: repay creditors or fulfil basic obligations to their people,” he added, describing it as “not merely an economic dilemma; it is a profound moral and human rights crisis.”
He noted that excessive debt reduces fiscal space, imposes austerity measures, and “perpetuates cycles of poverty and inequality,” which directly affect the realisation of economic, social and cultural rights.
Good Governance And Public Trust
Archbishop Balestrero said debtor countries should adopt fiscal systems that follow “the principles of good governance, transparency, accountability and responsibility.”
He explained that public finance should be based on trust between institutions and citizens, and that when taxation and public expenditure are seen as fair and oriented toward the common good, “social cohesion and voluntary compliance are fostered,” allowing States to expand their capacity to mobilise resources.
Human Rights Before Debt Repayment
He said that “when conflicts arise, human rights obligations must take precedence over debt repayment.” Creditors, whether bilateral, multilateral or private, must ensure that lending practices respect human dignity and do not increase poverty or hardship.
He also noted that “illegal debts, tax competition and predatory lending erode the social contract and hinder States' capacities to meet core obligations.”
Call to Global Action
Quoting Pontiff Leo XIV, Archbishop Balestrero said: “Every effort should be made to overcome the global inequalities […] that are carving deep divides between continents, countries and even within individual societies.”
Bishop Berardi Appeals To Christians And Muslims To Unite In Prayer For Peace
The Apostolic Vicar of Northern Arabia calls on believers of all faiths to pray “so that the roar of missiles may cease” and that the people of the Middle East may live in communion, highlighting the spiritual context in which the conflict has erupted. By Linda Bordoni
“In these difficult days marked by the pain and uncertainty of war”, Bishop Aldo Berardi addressed the people of the Kingdom of Bahrain, its monarchy, members of the Government, citizens and all its residents, with words of encouragement and hope.
Speaking on behalf of the entire Catholic Christian community he represents, the Apostolic Vicar of Northern Arabia released a statement on March 5, noting that the war has broken out as Christians and Muslims observe their respective seasons of spiritual devotion and penance.
War Amid Ramadan And Lent
“The outbreak of this war has found us all, both the Muslim and the Christian communities, in a particularly important religious season for each: the holy month of Ramadan and the great forty‑day fast of Lent, respectively,” the bishop said in a statement.
He went on to express his belief that “these two sacred times, not by coincidence but by divine providence, began on the same day this year: February 18.”
Bishop Berardi thus reminded Muslims and Christians that they began their journey together, noting that the war makes “the fragility of our lives, the transcience of our existence on this earth” even more evident, and this, he continued, highlights the need “to turn wholeheartedly to God, fasting and repenting for our faults and for the sins of the world.”
Cardinal David: When War Is Played Like A Video Game
The Vice President of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences reflects on the growing conflict in the Middle East, warning that digital warfare can make violence appear distant from the human suffering it causes. By Fr. Mark Robin Destura, RCJ
Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David, Vice President of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC), has warned that modern warfare risks becoming dangerously detached from human reality, as missiles and drones continue to fly across the Middle East.
Following the news on the Middle East conflict, he looked at how the war is being done, when the United States and Israel launched at the beginning what they described as a preemptive strike against Iran. What was initially presented as a limited military action is quickly escalating into a widening regional conflict.
Iran retaliated with waves of missiles and drones, targeting not only Israel but also American bases scattered across the Gulf region. Air defenses intercepted missiles over Turkey, while a British base in Cyprus reportedly came under drone attack. Meanwhile, Israel carried its strikes northward against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.
In less than a week, the conflict had already spilled across more than a dozen countries.
War Through Screens
What makes the situation particularly troubling, Cardinal David noted, is not only the scale of the conflict but also the way it is being fought.
Much of today’s warfare is conducted through digital command systems, drones, satellites, and artificial intelligence.
“From distant command centers, military operators stare at screens where maps, radar signals, and algorithm-generated targets move like icons in a computer game. A cursor moves. A coordinate is selected. A click is made. And a missile is launched," he said.
Such technology can create the illusion that war is clean and controlled. Yet the screen does not show what happens when the missile reaches its target.
The Human Cost
On the ground are ordinary people, he said, “whose lives have nothing to do with the calculations of generals or the ambitions of politicians: children asleep in their beds, mothers preparing meals, elderly people who cannot run fast enough to reach a shelter.”
When missiles slip through air-defense systems, they do not disappear harmlessly in the sky. They explode “where people live—inside apartment blocks, hospitals, hotels, crowded streets.”
"And when the smoke clears, the casualties are not symbols on a screen. They are human beings," said Cardinal David.
Workers Caught In The Conflict
Talking about Filipinos working overseas, he sees the consequences of the conflict extend far beyond the battlefield.
Across the Gulf region live millions of migrant workers who left their homelands to support their families. Among them are many Filipinos working in homes, hospitals, hotels, and construction sites.
At sea, thousands of seafarers—many of them also Filipinos—crew ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important maritime corridors. Should the waters become a war zone, they would be among the first to face the danger.
A Call To Conscience
“The economic shock of the conflict will also reach far beyond the Middle East," continued Cardinal David. "When oil routes are threatened and shipping disrupted, the burden is often carried by vulnerable nations that depend on imported energy and on the remittances of workers abroad.”
In conflicts like these, suffering is rarely limited to the battlefield.
For Cardinal David, this reality raises a troubling moral question: who truly benefits from war? He answered, “Certainly not the families who bury their dead. Certainly not the workers who suddenly find themselves trapped in a war zone far from home. Certainly not the poor nations that will absorb the economic shock.” The benefits go to the “industries that manufacture weapons.”
The tragedy of war, he reflected, is not only the destruction it brings, but also the frightening ease with which it can be started.
Certain questions must be asked, he said. Questions like “When will humanity wake up from the madness of war? Who will hold the architects of this war accountable? When powerful leaders launch wars in the name of 'security' or 'preemption'… will the world simply watch in silence?”
In an age when decisions can be made with the press of a button, humanity must ask itself how these wars will continue to be launched so easily. He concluded: “Those who command the screens rarely see the bodies.”
*****
BISHOPS: Embed Vatican News' new video widget in your website, as Pope Leo XIV has invited Bishops to do for their diocesan and parish websites. Click the link to generate the code: https://www.vaticannews.va/widget/embed.ht...
Use the handy hashtags on Black In America: #AgnesBLevine, #KingdomCoolingWellWaterMinistries, #PontiffLeo, #PopeLeo, #PontiffFrancis, #PopeFrancis, #IranWar, #VaticanNews, #Synod, #HolySee, #Synodality, #KingdomLevineOliverPublisher, #KLOP, and stay edified on https://www.pinterest.com/levineoliverpub/...
