Pope Leo XIV stated that "as a pastor" he cannot support the American-Israeli war with Iran, but condemned the killings of protesters by the Iranian regime, UNN reports with reference to CNN.
"As a pastor, I cannot be a supporter of war," Leo told reporters flying with him from Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, a week after US President Donald Trump criticized the pontiff for his stance on the Middle East conflict.
"I would like to call on everyone to make efforts to find answers that come from a culture of peace, and not from hatred and division."
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Leo stated that the US and Israeli bombing of Iran created a "chaotic situation for the world economy," and also "affected the entire population of Iran, innocent people because of this war." Emphasizing the human cost of the conflict, the Pope said he has a photograph of a Lebanese Muslim boy who carried a poster welcoming the pontiff to the country late last year and died in the war.
The Pope, answering questions alternately in English, Spanish, and Italian, also criticized the killings of protesters by the Iranian regime in his first statements on the subject.
Asked if he condemned the brutal suppression of protests in Tehran, Leo replied: "I condemn all unjust actions, I condemn taking people's lives, I condemn execution, I believe that human life must be respected. When a regime, when a country makes decisions that unjustly take people's lives, obviously, this should be condemned."
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